Lal Chowk is Srinagar’s nerve centre, often used for political articulation in the past nearly seven decades, besides being the business hub of Jammu and Kashmir’s main town.
When the tribal militia from Pakistan invaded Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 autumn, the National Conference (NC) named Srinagar’s central square as Lal Chowk and its activists owing allegiance to Mr G.M. Sadiq, a known leftist who was highly influenced by the Bolshevik resolution of Soviet Russia, put up a red flag there shored up by huge stones. Lal Chowk was the takeoff point for travel outside Kashmir and regular bus services will operate from here to Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, Jammu, Amritsar and other places. The famous tour operators included Nanda Bus, Allied Chiraguddin, Diamond Bus and N.D. Radhakrishan. Also, tonga services to different parts of the Valley were available from Lal Chowk. Previously, Lal Chowk would be called Palladium Chowk for its close proximity to the Valley’s one of the oldest cinema houses Palladium which is now in ruins and requisitioned as temporary barracks by the CRPF.
It was at Lal Chowk that Kashmir’s legendary leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah after joining hands with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru pledged “Tu man shodi, man tu shudam (You are in me, I’m in you).” At their public meeting here, India’s first Prime Minister had promised to the people of Kashmir that the question of accession would be referred to them after peace returned to the region and it would be they who can decide their future through a plebiscite. A few people tied with ropes and who were made to look through the windows of Palladium were introduced to the huge gathering as captured qabailis or tribal raiders. A police brigade was launc-hed from Lal Chowk and one of the slogans chanted by those who had joined it was “Hamla aawar khabardar; hum Kashmiri hain tayar (Oh invader, be cautioned that we the people of Kashmir are ready to face you head on).”