Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 29

Unusual scenes were witnessed in Russia last night —Indian and Pakistani soldiers dancing together on popular Punjabi music.

The event was a cultural evening hosted by the Indian Army to mark the end of the eight-nation joint military exercise at Chebarkul, Russia. Pakistan and China were among other participants.

However, it does not mean the two nuclear-armed countries, which have fought four wars against each other and have a running dispute in Jammu and Kashmir, have turned “friends”.

Yesterday was India’s turn of hosting the other nations over an evening to showcase its culture. Military commanders leading each of the countries, including those of Pakistan, China and host Russia, were welcomed with a traditional red ‘tilak’ on their forehead and traditional red-coloured Rajasthani ‘pagris’. The Indian Army’s Rajput regiment is the lead contingent, hence the Rajasthani gear. A well-laid-out meal and some music followed, which led to impromptu dancing by the troops of all countries and some unusual images have emerged of the armies of India and Pakistan for whom this was the first-ever joint military exercise.

Indian and Pakistan soldiers have operated together in the past on UN missions.

The exercise, ‘Peace Mission 2018’, was under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and it culminated last night.