For a long while I had wanted to present myself at the Attari-Wagah border at sundown, to watch the ceremonious taking down of the national flag. Recently, we finally drove up almost to the gate — or should that be gates? — that marked the Great Divide between India and Pakistan.

What I was absolutely not prepared for was the size of the mid-week crowd that had come to witness the ceremony. The atmosphere should have been sombre. Instead, it was like a huge mela. The stands on the Indian side filled up rapidly whereas, on the Pakistani side, people were just trickling in.

Our youngest and best-looking Border Security men, in their starched khaki trousers, stockings and red-fanned turbans, were on duty. The Pakistanis looked less flamboyant in their dark grey trousers and sherwanis, their heads adorned by matching inky headgear.

Ear-splitting music blared from our end: predictably, Phir bhi dil hai Hindustani and It happens only in India were on offer. The ghazal from across the border seemed a rather tepid response. Then followed a vocal bout. An amplified voice, joined by a chorus, shouted: “Vande Mataram, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Hindustan Zindabad.” This was followed by an announcement that no other slogan was permitted. “Allah ho Akbar, Pakistan Zindabad,” came the feeble rejoinder from the other side.

About a dozen BSF men then started their kick-march towards the gate. After several right and left turns, the designated soldier asked permission of the commandant to take down the flag for the day. The massive gate on the Indian side was swung open, as indeed the Pakistani gate. The representatives from both sides now stood on no-man’s land for a few minutes before commencing the process of lowering their flags. All this was done in visually delightful sync. The flags were held for a moment — providing great photo-ops — before being brought down completely and handed over for the final ritual, which saw the flag being elaborately folded.

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