Attari border witnesses 10% dip in tourists

AGGRESSIVE MOOD OF VISITORS CAN BE NOTICED DURING BEATING THE RETREAT CEREMONY AFTER THE TERROR ATTACK, SAYS A BSF OFFICER

AMRITSAR: A dip of around 10 per cent has been recorded in tourists’ arrival to Attari joint check post (JCP) after Pulwama terrorist attack on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men, said district tourism officer (DTO) Gursharan Singh.

“We have been noticing a dip of around 10 per cent in tourists’, visiting Attari border to witness beating the retreat ceremony, after the Pulwama attack,” said DTO Gursharan Singh.

Thousands of people visit Attari border daily to watch the flag lowering ceremony, known as beating the retreat, organised in the evening, wherein Border Security Force (BSF) jawans and Pakistan Rangers display aggressive posturing and footstomping. The state tourism department, after the attack, has been receiving calls from various parts of the country enquiring about if the ceremony was being still organised. “Even people are calling me daily to confirm details about the ceremony,” said Gursharan.

It is the Toll Plaza on Attariamritsar road, through which the traffic visiting Attari border passes.

Manager of the plaza, Bikram Singh, said they have been noticing a sharp decline in the movement of traffic towards the Attari border. “Before the attack, a huge rush of traffic was a common sight, but now the rush has settled,” he added.

A BSF officer, who did not want to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said there is a small dip in the tourists’ footfall.

However, aggressive mood of visitors can be noticed during beating the retreat ceremony after the terror attack, he added.

BSF Commandant Mukand Kumar Jha, who is posted at the JCP Attari, however, said, “Fluctuation in the footfall is a normal routine here.”