Urban Confrontations in Conflict-scapes: The Case for Lal Chowk, Kashmir

Abstract

Renowned urban squares around the world seldom have a past that has not been marked by political upheaval and trauma. Tiananmen Square in Beijing or the Red Square in Moscow are examples that attest to this. Urban designers and architects approach politically volatile squares in varying ways that may or may not consider their complex histories. For instance, the urban fabric of Berlin adopts a design approach that confronts its past by integrating structures such as the Berlin Wall within its present context, thus honoring a collective memory.
The paper focuses on the context of Kashmir and more specifically, Srinagar, which has witnessed increasing political tensions ever since India gained its independence in 1947. These heightened tensions have hurled Srinagar into a constant state of political volatility.
With competing political narratives and multiple religious sentiments, Srinagar’s central square (Lal Chowk) has emerged as the focal point of historical turbulence. Increased political volatility encodes its built fabric and consequently alters the various personal associations it holds. Today, town planning proposals for Lal Chowk aim for urban solutions that veil its troubled past and opt for a seemingly modern approach that mimics dissimilar contexts.
Through chronological mapping between political events and transformations in the built fabric, this paper draws attention to how Lal Chowk serves as a political archive for Kashmir. It therefore argues for urban planning possibilities that confront Srinagar’s past. Following this, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing and commemorating collective memory while supporting a progressive future.