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| Sher-e-Jammu caged for roaring in Lal Chowk | | Battle for City Centre | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 28:
Since 1947 the state and its people are involved in a fight for Lal Chowk. The fight has achieved significant importance since 2008 when the administration prevented people from assembly at the historic place. The fight continues unabated and today president of Panthers Party, Bhim Singh was taken into custody along with his associates for daring to reach Lal Chowk for political reasons.
A huge portrait of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah looking at the place in the historic Chowk where he and Nehru had embraced in 1948 to a thundering applause from the people was ruthlessly pulled down by a group of angry youth in 1985. The group had just come out of the erstwhile Regal cinema after getting `inspired’ from Omar Mukhtar’s (Lion of desert) heroics. The incident shook the administration and the movie was banned. Lal Chowk seemed in no mood to mourn the loss of Abdullah’s portrait much to the disappointment of National Conference workers who would guard the portrait with their life. But a new era was about to commence. The new generation had no love for Sher-e-Kashmir.
This was the first time when National Conference lost its hold on Lal Chowk. Sheikh Abdullah must have turned in his grave that day. It was the same place where he had, in 1948, recited the famous Persian couplet Mun tu shudam tu mun shudi (I became you and you became me) for Nehru to show his love for India.
Pleased by the Persian couplet, Nehru promised Kashmiris a fair deal. He said New Delhi shall make a reference to them after restoration of normal conditions in the state. He also promised that India will not hold Kashmir against the will of its people.
After just five years Sheikh Abdullah realized that India was no an ideal match and needed to be divorced. According to Abdul Gani Goni (a member of Constituent Assembly and a close aide of Sheikh Abdullah in early 50s) Sheikh Abdullah categorically told Nehru that he wanted to severe relations with New Delhi.
Sheikh was removed and imprisoned. While Sheikh was in, Bakshi’s National Conferene operated from the Lal Chowk. The historic place remained in government’s hold.
The ordinary people gained control of the place in December 1963 during the Holy Relic agitation. The news of the theft of Holy Relic from Hazratbal shrine caused a stir in the Valley. People took out processions across Kashmir. A procession marching through Lal Chowk turned violent when Bakshi’s brother, Bakshi Rashid appeared on the scene and tried to lead the procession. The people threw kangris at him and torched his vehicle. The National Conference office was ransacked. Lal Chowk was manned by the masses for quite some time.
In 1975 Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah signed the Indra-Abdullah accord. People came out in large numbers to greet their leader. He delivered a lectrure in Lal Chowk. It seemed the people had lost the historic place for good but thanks to Omar Mukhtar, government once again lost Lal Chowk though for a few moments.
Then came 1990. People once again captured Lal Chowk but only for a few years. The historic Chowk continues to be in government hold. It has now been dismembered and mauled in the name of restoring its glory. But insiders believe the cosmetic surgery has been done to prevent people from assembling there.
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