Feature by Nimra Aamir

Name: Nimra  Aamir Ali Pathan
Roll no. 2k15/MC/103
Feature: Hyder Chowk

Today we hear voices of hawkers and traffic noise, but that was time when political slogans and speeches were heard at the historical place now called Hyder Chowk. In the past, people from different walks of life including the workers of different political parties used this place to stage protests or demonstrations at this chowk. It was hub of political activities. This main chowk located in Gari Khata area was named after the pioneer of Hari Tehreek leader Hyder Bux Jatoi. Hyder Bux Jatoi was a revolutionary and was known as Baba e Sindh (the Father of Sindh).

Due to political importance and central point of the city, a number of political parties like Hari Committee, National Awami Party, Sindhi Awami Tahreek, had their offices near this chowk. A good number of trade union like Pakistan Workers federation, A veteran political activist told that Sindh Peoples Labour Federation and students organisations like Sindh National Students Federation had also their offices in this area. This was due to its space and vicinity of railway station and bus stand.
The name of the chowk witnessed changes. This chowk was formerly called Fawaara chowk, (fountain chowk) as there was a fountain in past.  But later the name changed as a park was set up there, which was renowned as Gol Park. The political parties used to organize their speeches in that park. The park was then transformed into a bus stand. Buses used to ran from Mirpurkhas to Hyderabad and vice-versa. Later, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation installed a sculpture of praying hands here, the bus stand was then called Dua chowk. Residents of Hyder chowk and near places says, more commonly and usually this chowk is called as Hyder Chowk because there was a house of Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi.
Railway system collapsed, bus stand was shifted, the two main connecting road, Station Road and Risala Road lost the attraction.

It remains crowded due to its central location and packed with the visitors of nearby areas of Hyderabad city. Massive crowd related to education and many intellectuals can be seen there as an important thing about this junction is that new and old books can be find here easily and numerous important buildings, and places are near to it. For instance, courts, Hyderabad Press Club, Deputy Commissioner House, Dr. N.A Baloch Model School and the offices of media houses. Hyder Chowk is the main centre of everything like people who drives motorcars or public transportation will always came here to repair their vehicles because there is a main market of cars and other automobiles.

Hyder chowk is a junction of four different pathways. One leads to Model School and Gul Centre shopping mall, second way leads to Resham bazar, third to Gari Khata, Nazeer Hussain fly over, and Railway station and last but not the least way leads to Gol building and Khokhar Mohalla. This chowk is still playing an essential role to reach anywhere. Currently, the chowk is occupied by bookshops like City book depot, Mehran book centre, numerous photo labs and by key-makers.
As Hyderabad is the heart of Sindh, in the same way Hyder chowk is the heart of Hyderabad. People say, after scorching rays of the sun in day time, this place becomes cool in the evening. The Hyder chowk is a target of every religious rally and also in Muharram the first month of Islamic calendar, we can see an enormous crowd.

Pedestrians who cross this chowk on regular basis comments that some people are demolishing the beauty of this historical place by hanging different advertisements over there. They do not even think that through these actions, they are violating the beauty of such monument.