BSF, Pak Rangers exchange sweets on Eid-ul-Adha; 1st time since abrogation of Article 370

The Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets at various points along the border on the occasion of Id-ul-Adha on Wednesday, July 21. This is the first time the two sides have followed the tradition since Pakistan stopped the exchange in 2019. That was due to the events on August 5, 2019, when the Central government abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

A BSF spokesperson said in a statement, “Exchange of sweets took place between BSF and Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of Eid. Both side troops greeted each other and exchanged sweets in Hira Nagar, Samba, Ramgarh, RS Pura, Arnia, Pargwal Sectors of the International Border of Jammu.” He added, “This is the first exchange of sweets between the two border guarding forces (BSF and Pakistan Rangers) after the Pulwama incident (in 2019).” The Jammu frontier of the BSF said in a statement, “There was no cross-border shelling for long and farmers on both sides of the border have been able to carry out their farming activities peacefully” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished the people of the country on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. PM Modi said in a tweet, "Eid Mubarak! Best wishes on Eid-ul-Adha. May this day further the spirit of collective empathy, harmony and inclusivity in the service of the greater good.” As the celebrations come to an end, it marks the end of Hajj and involves the sacrifice of an animal as a tribute to Ibrahim's sacrifice for the almighty Allah.

Maintaining ties with Bangladesh

BSF also exchanged sweets with BGB, the Bangladeshi unit that guards the borders of Bangladesh. The exchange happened across multiple locations along the 4,096-km long international border shared with Bangladesh. The BSF south Bengal frontier headquarters in Kolkata said in a statement, "Both the border guarding forces share cordial and congenial relations. The exchange of sweets comes as a goodwill gesture and reflects true comradeship. It also helps in building and strengthening cordial relations." BSF said in a statement, “It has been a long-running tradition between the two forces to exchange sweets on the festive occasions.". The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF protects 903 km of the Indian border on the eastern flank.

(With ANI inputs)