Srinagar : The iconic Lal Chowk here wore a festive look on Saturday as hundreds of tourists celebrated the country’s 80th Independence Day in front of the famous Clock Tower.
A huge number of visitors thronged the crossing in Srinagar — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Once emblematic of separatist discourse, Lal Chowk was swept in tricolours.
Netra Gurjar, a first-time tourist from Mumbai, said she was not wrong to visit the spot.
“It is my first time visiting Kashmir. We have been in Kashmir for seven days. It is our first time here (in Lal Chowk). And if you look at it, it is the first time we are celebrating Independence Day somewhere,” she told PTI Videos.
Gurjar said the family wanted to experience the atmosphere at Lal Chowk and they were not disappointed.
“Kashmir has changed a lot from what it was before. Before coming here, we were also scared. But, after coming here, all fear has vanished. It is safe. It is good. The infrastructure is very good,” said Gurjar, adding that her eyes were welling up.
Another tourist, Pune’s Aisha Sheikh, said the visit was a dream come true.
“Coming to this Lal Chowk, where Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the flag, was a dream for us. If we come to Kashmir, we must come to Lal Chowk,” she said.
Sheikh said there were many speculations in the media that Kashmir is not safe.
“But we did not feel anything like that. It is completely safe. People are also very good. The residential (local) people are good, the military is very supportive. And for the tourists here, Kashmir is completely safe,” she said.
As shouts of ‘Vande Mataram’ reverberated in the air, Sheikh said she could not feel any prouder.
“Vande Mataram comes from within, saying this is my country, this is my nation, and this is my pride.
“We are Indians, we will remain Indians, and we will be buried in India itself. So we shouldn’t even be called Pakistanis. We are Indians. And we proudly say that we are Indians,” she said.
Sheikh insisted that today’s generation does not believe in division and there is no Hindu-Muslim issue.
“All are Indians, there’s nothing else here. Kashmir is completely safe,” she said.
Authorities made elaborate arrangements, complete with selfie points, for the people to celebrate the day.
A kid skated around with glee, carrying the tricolour in one hand.
Suraj Bhatt, a tourist from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was thrilled to witness the moment.
“There is a big crowd here … It feels good. The atmosphere here is energetic and enthusiastic, and it feels good to be at Lal Chowk,” Bhatt, who was visiting the Valley for the fourth time, said.
Gujarat-based Arun Haryani, painted in saffron, white, and green, stood beneath the Clock Tower, continuing a tradition he began four years ago.
“I used to hear that hoisting the tricolour here was considered a challenge and that tensions would rise in the area. So, I thought I should come here myself, hoist the flag and spread a message of peace and brotherhood,” he said, recalling his first visit.
Haryani said when he came to the valley in 2022, there was almost a curfew-like atmosphere.
“But when I came here in 2023, people stood from 6 in the morning until around 11 pm at Lal Chowk. They celebrated and danced, and at one point, someone even lifted me onto his shoulders and danced with me. That made me feel that a very positive message of brotherhood had come across. Since then, I have been coming here every year,” he said.
