At a contested border in northern Punjab, Indian soldiers will commemorate Independence Day by raising the tricolour atop a 200-foot mast, surpassing Pakistan's 165-foot flagpole. This 'flag warfare' reflects the tensions and emotional nationalist sentiments between India and Pakistan, particularly following recent conflict. Flag-lowering ceremonies at the Indo-Pak border, especially at Sadqi, feature this height rivalry, woven into a tradition of military protocol combined with nationalism. Amidst celebratory speeches, Pakistan's leaders criticized India, while India warned of repercussions for Pakistan's aggressive stance.
The flagpole frontline is Sadqi, a quiet patchwork of wheat fields in northern Punjab state's Fazilka district. India's Tiranga will fly from a new 200-foot mast, while across the barbed-wire frontier at Sulemanki, Pakistan's green-and-white flag flutters from a 165-foot pole.
This flagpole war may appear symbolic, but it carries weighty emotional and nationalist overtones, particularly within the context of the India-Pakistan rivalry, where tensions impact people's lives.
Every evening, India conducts three flag-lowering ceremonies along the heavily militarised Punjab border, with Sadqi included. Flagpole one-upmanship is now a tradition within the nightly ceremonies.
Pakistan celebrated its Independence Day on Thursday, preceding India's national holiday, where leaders made barbed speeches against India prompting warnings from India about potential consequences for Pakistan's reckless war-mongering.
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