Echoes of 1971 as Ferozepur Cantt goes dark in 30-minute drill

FEROZEPUR: A 30-minute blackout drill from 9pm Sunday in Punjab's Ferozepur Cantonment , along the India-Pakistan border , harked back to the 1971 War when it had become routine to order lights off to reduce visibility for enemy aircraft.

Ferozepur Cantonment Board had intimated residents in advance about the power cut as part of a safety preparedness exercise. As the cantonment area plunged into darkness, the only light was from headlamps of vehicles being stopped for frisking at multiple checkpoints on the highway.

Residents were mostly cooped up in their homes, keeping even personal generators and inverters switched off for the entire duration of the drill.

Hooters pierced the night air continuously, heightening the feeling of an emergency despite everyone knowing that it was a mock exercise.

The cantonment board's official statement described the temporary blackout as being part of "routine safety preparedness" involving the public. "This mock drill is being conducted in the interest of public safety, and we greatly appreciate the cooperation and understanding of all residents," the statement said, assuring the residents that normal power supply would resume immediately after the drill ended at 9.30pm.

Sure enough, lights came on at the designated time. By then, generations who hadn't experienced 1971 knew what it felt like back then.