LoC killings fail to sour Eid sweets

The killing of five jawans on the Line of Control,which triggered a wave of anger across India,made the Border Security Force (BSF) think twice about exchanging sweets on Eid with Pak Rangers at the Attari border on Friday

The killing of five jawans on the Line of Control,which triggered a wave of anger across India,made the Border Security Force (BSF) think twice about exchanging sweets on Eid with Pak Rangers at the Attari border on Friday.

A BSF officer told The Indian Express that the matter was deliberated at length before it was decided to go ahead with the exchange of sweets,a custom that overrides hostilities between personnel of the two countries. But the BSF kept it a low-key affair and restrictions were imposed on mediapersons who had gone to cover the event. Later,the BSF issued a press release with photographs of the exchange of sweets with Pak Rangers.

BSF Deputy Inspector General (Amritsar sector) M F Farooqui justified the exchange of sweets by calling it part of a laid down drill.

The issue of whether one should continue to have ties with Pak Rangers comes under the ambit of foreign policy. We went ahead with the laid-down drill of the BSF on exchange of sweets. There were no instructions to us not to exchange sweets, Farooqui said,adding that BSF headquarters takes the call on the drill for such exchanges. BSF DIG R P S Jaiswal said: Eid is celebrated here with equal fervour,so we reciprocate with sweets.

Other occasions on which the two sides exchange sweets include Independence Day of the two countries Pak Rangers gift sweets to the BSF on August 14 and the BSF returns the gesture a day later. On Republic Day,the BSF again gifts sweets to the Pak Rangers.

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