Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Recent Diwali celebrations at India-Pakistan border.
Fact
2015 video of Indian-Pakistani troops exchanging sweets on Republic Day.
A video purportedly showing the Indian and Pakistani troops exchanging gifts and sweets at the border has gone viral on social media platforms since the recently concluded Diwali celebrations in the country. The text overlay in the video claims to show, “Diwali Celebration: India-Pak Border.” Newschecker, however, found the claim to be untrue.
Multiple Facebook users shared the two-minute-twenty-second-long-video claiming to show the “Diwali celebration at India Pakistan border.” A shorter version of the footage has also gone viral on X.
Such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
A Google lens search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to an X post by news agency ANI, dated January 26, 2015. Carrying stills from the same clip, it stated “Kaman Setu,Uri (J&K): Sweets exchange ceremony between Indian & Pak Army on the occasion of 66th Republic Day”
We then looked up keywords “India-Pakistan army,” “sweet exchange” and “ 66th Republic Day” on Google, and found a PTI report published on January 26, 2015. “Indian and Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) today exchanged sweets at three places in Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of Republic Day,” it stated.
Adding, “A unit of 12 Infantry Brigade of the Army exchanged sweets with their Pakistani counterparts at Kaman Post in Uri sector on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road, defence sources said. They said sweets were also exchanged with Pakistani troops at Teetwal in Tangdhar sector of Kashmir and at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch Sector of Jammu region.”
Furthermore, we also found a video report by Headlines Today from January, 2015 carrying snippets from the viral footage that is being shared as a recent video of Indian and Pakistani armies celebrating Diwali. “R-Day: Indian soldiers greet Pak counterparts with sweets,” the YouTube video was titled.
Old Claim Viral Amid 2024 Diwali Celebrations
The footage has been falsely shared to show Diwali celebrations at the India-Pakistan border since at least 2018. A Google lens search on the keyframes of the clip led us to a YouTube post, dated November 16, 2018. It featured the same video with claiming to show “INDIA AND PAKISTAN DIWALI”
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that an old video from Republic Day has been falsely shared to show Diwali celebrations at India-Pakistan border.
Result: False
Sources
X Post By @ANI, Dated January 26, 2015
YouTube Video By Headlines Today, Dated January 26, 2015
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
