First of all, I congratulate all my countrymen in India and abroad as our country’s ambassadors of peace and friendship on our 76th Republic Day celebrations. Watching the morning Republic Day Parade fills our hearts and minds with pride, especially for my family, as many members of our family don uniforms, and some are decorated with gallantry awards. As veterans in our sector, like many others all over the country, we have a flag unfurling ceremony followed by singing the national anthem and patriotic songs by young children, followed by a community lunch, dipping us in pride, camaraderie, and brotherhood. I would like to reiterate that many of our citizens are not aware of flag hoisting and unfurling rituals.
Briefly, on Independence Day, the national flag is hoisted by the Prime Minister by pulling it from bottom to top and tied, while on Republic Day the national flag is unfurled by the President as the flag is already tied on top of the pole and hence unfurled with the dignitary and national pride, so very essential to inculcate in younger generations. The Republic Day Parade and the Beating Retreat functions are meticulously planned by the armed forces—particularly the Indian Army—with the support of the Delhi Police and various administrative agencies. Being an infantry officer, posted both in the Kumaon Regimental Centre and the Assam Rifles Training Centre, I had the onus of organizing attestation and ceremonial parades and beating retreat functions as per military customs and traditions to motivate all ranks and civilian guests attending them.
Beating Retreat
This military function, held 3 days after Republic Day at the Vijay Chowk, New Delhi, is well blended in our cultural and military traditions, featuring the playing of martial and patriotic tunes by the military bands of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force (IAF), along with the bands of Central Armed Police Organizations (CPOs), Paramilitary Forces (PMFs), and the Delhi Police. As the sun goes down, the Republic Day ceremonies come to a close with the stirring Last Post played by a large group of buglers. This is followed by the beautiful and exotic lighting of Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House(s), North and South Blocks, India Gate, the National War Memorial, and the buildings nearby, and finally, the respectful lowering of the flag. This makes the ceremony not only very military but also very patriotic, inspiring, and lucky for the country and its armed forces.
While watching the lowering of the flags ceremony held daily along the Attari-Wagah border and Hussainiwala-Ferozepur by India’s BSF and the Pakistani Rangers, along with police forces deployed on either side by the respective country, but on their national days, the ceremony becomes more significant with felicitations and sweets distribution by the security forces of the other side since 1959. This practice, while ceremonial and auspicious, signifies that in the past, warring nations and factions would cease their battles at sunset to honor and perform the last rites of their fallen soldiers or brethren. Contrary to the sanctity of the occasion(s), the troops’ drills and maneuvers on both sides are aggressive and vigorous. Raising of feet up to head level, their thumping on the ground hard and almost hostile, raising of arms over the head looks artificial and more akin to winning boxers or wrestlers than soldiers paying homage to fallen heroes. The troops for this ritual are specially appointed, trained, and attired; they wear beards and mustaches in the erstwhile Rajputana style, and they get monetary allowances to maintain themselves accordingly. I believe we need to restructure the entire ceremony to align with our evolving military, cultural, and societal needs.
Beating Retreat Ceremony at Indo-Pak Border at Amritsar & Ferozepur
On the evening of our Republic Day, Jan. 26, 2025, I watched the above ceremony. I have watched it many times and seen it live some 40 years back at Ferozepur-Hussainiwala IB while in service. Since then, I have discussed this practice with numerous serving officers and veterans, and many of them agree that it serves no purpose. If my understanding is correct, the Indo-Pak practice only occurs between the two countries at the Ferozepur and Amritsar borders. I don’t believe other Indian border posts, including those with China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, follow this practice. Some critics say it is both a symbol of the two countries’ rivalry and a display of brotherhood and cooperation between the two nations; if that is logical, why is this ritual not being practiced with our other bordering countries?
The well-timed and rehearsed ceremony starts just before sunset, with troops on both sides of the border gate. The ceremony is marked by blustering drill movements, head-level raising, foot stamping, shouting, yodeling, coordinated arm movements, flag lowering, gate closing, and the sounding of the Last Post by bugles on both sides. The ceremony looks hostile and vulgar, with the troops twitching their mustaches on both ends. Yaqub Ali Khan, a major general in the Pakistan Rangers, advocated for a reduction in the aggressive and comical ceremonial theatrics. I feel no other country in the world follows such meaningless military drills. It’s time we stop such theatrical, aggressive, and fruitless ceremonies and devote our meager resources to optimizing our security, as, except at the Ferozepur and Amritsar borders, nowhere are such wasteful drills practiced. If these are security imperatives, we need to follow them with all our bordering countries and neighboring countries worldwide that need to follow these heightened dramatic antics! Yes, we should have a solemn ceremony, mutually agreed upon by both sides, lowering the respective countries’ flags with bugles sounding the Last Post. It’s time to adapt the Beating of the Retreat Ceremony along the Attari–Wagah and Ferozepur–Hussainiwala Borders to our national imperatives.
‘JARA SOCHIYE.’