Coronavirus Scare: Beating Retreat Ceremony at Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab Suspended Till Further Orders to Contain Spread
The beating retreat ceremony is a popular daily event between India and Pakistan. In India, with the two new positive cases of COVID-19 reported from Punjab, the number of infected people has mounted to 33 on Saturday.
Chandigarh, March 7: The beating retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been suspended in view of the coronavirus scare in India. According to a tweet by ANI, Narain Jeet, Police Post Incharge at Attari in Amritsar said that the ceremony has been suspended till further orders amid the fear and panic about COVID-19 that has gripped the nation. The beating retreat ceremony is a popular daily event between India and Pakistan. In India, two new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Punjab where the patients tested positive in the preliminary tests.
On Friday, the BSF had said that people will not be allowed to attend the popular daily retreat ceremony in view of coronavirus outbreak. The officials had said that the precautionary measure will be effective from Saturday. The spokesperson of the border guarding force had said that BSF would continue performing the ceremonial duty of lowering the flag and other drills.
Here's the tweet:
According to a BSF official, as per government guidelines, mass gatherings are to be avoided and hence visitors and spectators to the ceremony will not be entertained. The beating retreat ceremony is held everyday at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab. The event is a military ceremony dating to 16th-century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. Coronavirus Live Map: How to Track The Spread of COVID-19.
During the popular event, the national flags of India and Pakistan are lowered by the respective border guarding forces amid foot-stomping gestures and patriotic music in presence of visitors on both sides of the border. Originally it was known as 'watch setting' and was initiated at sunset by the firing of a single round from the evening gun.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 07, 2020 04:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).