Hidden in the narrow and crowded lanes of Islamabad, Bara Makan looks just like any old neighbourhood in Amritsar. But behind its weathered walls lies a forgotten chapter of the city’s freedom struggle, one that is linked to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.Long before the locality became part of the expanding city, Bara Makan and the adjoining areas of Islamabad were known as meeting places for people involved in the freedom movement. Among the prominent names associated with this network was Bose, who is believed to have made a brief stop in Amritsar before beginning the journey that eventually took him towards Kabul.The Amritsar connection survived in family memories and, more importantly, in an old photograph found in 2010.Manmohan Chand Mohindru, son of freedom fighter Dr Karam Chand Mohindru, came across a damaged photograph of his father with Bose and several other revolutionaries, in 2010. The picture had remained in the family for years, but its significance became clearer with the passage of time.Lala Dharampal Sangar, another freedom fighter and Dr Mohindru’s friend, had once visited the family in search of the photograph. By the time the family recovered the photograph, however, Sangar had passed away. The badly damaged photograph was later restored through computer scanning. The story becomes more interesting in the lanes around Bara Makan. The old photograph is believed to feature several of the freedom fighters’ associates, including Abdul Gani Dar, Amir Chand Gupta, Dr Satpal, Sheikh Sammaddin, Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.According to the families connected with the freedom movement, Bose’s visit to Amritsar was not simply a stop on a long journey. He met local revolutionaries and leaders and discussed the need for a united struggle against British rule.The connection between Bose and Amritsar, however, goes back even further as this was not his first visit to the city. On April 8, 1931, Bose had chaired a meeting in Amritsar and announced that a mela would be organised every year at the place where Bhagat Singh was cremated. Today, much of that history survives only through memories preserved by old families. Bara Makan has now changed, its surroundings have become busier, the name of the street is now Tilak Gali and the old revolutionary networks have disappeared. But the stories still remain.wuw