Chandigarh, August 15 (HS): The 79th Independence Day was celebrated with patriotic fervor at the Indo-Pak Attari border in Amritsar, Punjab, on Friday, but notably, there was no traditional exchange of sweets with Pakistan — a symbolic gesture that has long represented goodwill between the two nations.

Commandant S.S. Chandel hoisted the national flag at the border outpost and extended greetings to troops by distributing sweets among the Indian jawans. However, across the fence, the Pakistan Rangers made no such move, and the custom was skipped entirely.

The decision comes against the backdrop of rising tensions following recent attacks, including the Pahalgam terror strike, which has further soured bilateral relations. A similar halt in the sweet-exchange tradition occurred after the Pulwama attack, when the practice remained suspended for nearly three years.

While the ceremonial Beating Retreat will still be conducted at the Attari-Wagah crossing, it will take place with gates closed. Both sides will lower their national flags without crossing into each other’s territory or shaking hands — a stark reminder of the current hostility.

After the launch of Operation Sindoor earlier this year, both countries resumed the retreat ceremony on May 12, but have avoided opening their gates since. Neither side initiated an exchange on Pakistan's Independence Day, August 14, and the stand-off continued into India’s national celebration.

Exchanging sweets on occasions like Eid, Diwali, and Independence Day has been a longstanding, symbolic act since Partition — one that now stands suspended once again amidst the chill in India-Pakistan relations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar