BSF breaks own record, plants 4 lakh saplings

No ceremonial exchange of candies and gifts will take place between BSF and Pak Rangers during the Independence day celebrations on both the sides, in the wake of recent ceasefire violations and cross-border terror bids from the Pakistan side.

“Around 400,000 saplings were planted both in India’s eastern and northern frontiers along Bangladesh and Pakistan, all its units and sector headquarters within just 30 minutes from 10 a.m. on Wednesday”, Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman D.S. Bhati told IANS.

The initiative also helped better their own record of last year when a total of more than 3,90,000 saplings were planted which went into the Limca Book of Records.

“There is an age-old tradition of exchange of candies on national days like Republic Day and Independence Day, and also on Diwali, Holi and Eid”.

According to the government records, there were 192 ceasefire violations along the global Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26 this year, which resulted in death of three civilians and one BSF personnel. He suggested that the “prevailing situation” along the border prevented the BSF from showing any “soft gestures” to the Pakistani Rangers.

“Neither candies nor gifts will be offered or taken on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day and on August 15, the day when India got freedom in 1947”. On Tuesday, Pakistan had lodged a protest with India over the latest ceasefire violations at the LoC.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a shooting range at Mohali, Sukhbir said he had sent a communiqué to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, requesting more security forces to be deployed along the Punjab border on the lines of the troop deployment in Jammu & Kashmir.