The India - Pakistan Border Crossing

This evening we headed out to the one border crossing between Pakistan and India where every night there is an elaborate ceremony of Indian (and on the other side Pakistani) pride. It is political theater of the highest order. Starting with a man who leads the crowd in cheers along with music blaring at ear splitting levels with the sole purpose of being louder than the music blaring on the Pakistan side. In Bollywood movie fashion, there is a random dance number with the women crowding the street dancing to a seemingly patriotic hymn. My lack of knowledge of Hindi requires me to make certain leaps of logic--the crowd could be shouting “death to the Jews” for all I know. Eventually the soldiers come out in outlandish uniforms complete with headdresses, spats and multicolored belts. Led by a man who has the ability to hold a note for minutes, the soldiers have an elaborately choreographed routine replete with impossibly high kicks, fast marching and synchronized flag lowering. The crowd eats it up, screaming wildly the whole time, and it is thoroughly entertaining for the non-Indian spectators.