As guns fall silent, tourists flock to Suchetgarh International Border

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, February 3

Amit Kumar Bansal, 31, a trader from Punjab, had never imagined that he would be able to see Pakistan border so closely. At the Suchetgarh International Border, 28 km from Jammu city from where he and several other tourists were allowed to reach a point where they could see Pakistan’s gate not more than 400 metre away, he says, “The feeling of being an Indian was never so strong until I saw the gate painted in green carrying a crescent because as soon as I turned, I saw the gate carrying Tricolour.”

The villagers, who used to fear shelling from across the border, are also relieved by seeing so many tourists visiting the area. Villages around the border in Suchetgarh sector have also become lively since the guns fell silent in February 2021 when India and Pakistan agreed to maintain peace on the Line of Control (LoC).

The government has been giving a push to the border tourism in Jammu for years. The Beating Retreat ceremony was started three months ago here, but it has been put on hold due to Covid-19.

Tourists making a beeline are seen these days at the Suchetgarh border post where their identities are verified before being allowed to proceed towards the gate from where the distance between India and Pakistan almost ends. Only Indian tourists are allowed this far as Pakistan has not allowed its people to reach this point, a BSF personnel said.

Urmila Chauhan from Bhopal, accompanied by her husband and two kids, says she never knew that people were allowed to come so close to the border. “I had always read about firing on the border in J&K. This is an unusual site for me,” she adds.

Aijaz Dar, 28, from Anantnag, was busy clicking his pictures with the Pakistan border gate in the backdrop, says he will upload these on his social media profile. “While there are tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue, I always wanted to see the neighbouring country. Although I have not got an opportunity to visit Pakistan, at least I can make my friends envious by uploading these pictures on my social media profiles,” he says.

There were many visitors at an eatery (dhaba) inside the premises of BSF post on border. Even as the Suchetgarh border post has been developed as a tourism spot by the J&K Tourism Department, chairs of staff inside a small office were lying vacant and tourists returning without being briefed about anything.

Ashok Kumar, who manages an eatery on the BSF post premises, says he has never seen so many tourists in a day. “As the peace prevailed, at least 200 people come to have food at my dhaba daily. The number of tourists visiting the border is far more,” he adds.

Footfall rises

As peace prevailed, at least 200 people come to have food at my dhaba daily. The number of visitors is far more. — Ashok Kumar, operator of an eatery

it’s unusual

I didn’t know that people were allowed to come so close to the border. I had always read about firing here. This is an unusual site. — Urmila Chauhan, Bhopal resident