The annual Baba Chamliyal Mela at the Dargah of Baba Dilip Singh Manhas in the ‘no man’s land’ along the Ramgarh sector of international border in Samba again fell victim this year to the strained relationship between rivals India and Pakistan.
The mela, a tradition that had been going on for over 300years is held every year on June 27.
But it was suspended in 2018 for first time since India andPakistan gained independence.
Like last year, the Indian Border Security Force guardingthe border and their Pakistani counterparts, the Rangers, did not hold a flagmeeting ahead of the cross border Sufi religious congregation to discussmodalities, official said.
So, there will be no participation by people from Pakistanin the Chamliyal mela this year.
Usually, the process of holding the joint religious eventwould commence a month before a Pakistani delegation was received at the borderevent to pay obeisance at the dargah popularly known as Baba Chamliyal.
“The event was suspended last year after a sniping incidentby Rangers at the Chamliyal post, which had led to the cancellation of the320-year-old congregation at Baba Chamliyal dargah,” an official said.
BSF officials also confirmed that Pakistan will notparticipate in fair on Thursday, like last year.
“There hasn’t been any formal communication between Rangersand BSF on this year’s Chamliyal Mela,” Jammu-based spokesman of BSF said.
“Moreover, overall conduct and arrangements for the mela arebeing done by the shrine committee under civil administration.”
The revered shrine has followers on either side of theborder.
On the Pakistani side the mela lasts three days beginninglast Thursday of June every year in Saidawali village of Sialkot which isopposite Chamliyal village on the Indian side of the border.
Pakistan Rangers used to handover a “chaddar” (ceremonialcloth) and sweets to BSF who in return presented “shakkar and sharbat” (holysoil and water) that many believe cure skin ailments.