From J&K | Sound of the Guns

A FORCE Report

In Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, often referred to as the ‘Red Square,’ a clock tower has emerged as a symbol of peace and stability in the restive region of Jammu and Kashmir. Lal Chowk, a bustling business hub in Kashmir’s summer capital, derives its name from Moscow’s Red Square. Some local historians attribute its name to a group of communist reformers, who christened it Lal Chowk following Lenin’s rise to power in Moscow in 1917. Over the ensuing decades, Lal Chowk evolved into a symbol of left-leaning Kashmiri nationalism, closely associated with the political ideology practised by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah during the ascent of the Soviet Union.

BSF Jawan at Dal Lake Srinagar

In the 1980s, a clock tower was constructed in the Lal Chowk area. It eventually fell into disrepair and ceased to function for years. The old tower, now replaced by a new one, has become a symbol of new politics in the region. For the past four years raising the tricolour at the tower in celebration of the Narendra Modi government’s decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution has become routine.

The pedestrian space in Lal Chowk has been expanded. Tourists from various parts of the country regularly visit the clock tower, capturing memorable moments with it as it now glows with tricolour lighting. Government officials assert that peace has been restored in the Valley. J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha often says the government under the leadership of Modi does not believe in buying peace but in establishing it firmly. He says that they have indeed achieved this goal.

Sinha says 80 per cent of the population is content with the current arrangement under him and prefers continuity over change. Discussing the Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma Scheme in mid-September, he stated that a network of individuals profiting from conflict and elements of terror have been successfully dismantled. “Over the past three years, we have overcome numerous challenges to bring peace and prosperity to the lives of the common people,” he said.

The clock tower, the symbol of the government’s peace narrative and of ‘Naya Kashmir,’ is patrolled by Jammu and Kashmir Police vehicles manned by officers armed with heavy weaponry. Paramilitary CRPF gunship vehicles are a visible presence with CRPF personnel similarly equipped with heavy weapons. These things remind us that there’s still a lot of ‘Purana Kashmir’ on the streets even if the streets are redone with cobblestones and pedestrian-friendly walkways. Some CRPF jawans express enthusiasm at the sight of tourists in the vicinity and willingly accommodate their requests to take photographs with them. The government is holding several programmes here. The anti-militant p