Chowk is 9 Today

Chowk is the worlds largest online community of discussion around contemporary writings of Indian and Pakistani people. Launched in 1997, the night between the 50th independence day of Pakistan and India, Chowk reflects the emotions, fears, challenges, thoughts and philosophies of over 1 Billion people. No issue is avoided and nothing is deemed sacred – Chowk is always outspoken, always current and always unique.

Chowk pages are read by over 250,000 visitors every month. There are over 4000 original articles, poems, essays and reports.

On this occasion we would like to thank all our readers and writers for their contribution in making this journey possible. Thank You.

On this important milestone, we would like to reiterate our commitment to persevere with our vision of “unflinching idealism.” With your help and support we are confident that Chowk will remain that beacon of hope and optimism that we all need to do good in this world. Thank You.

Chowk is an enormous undertaking and requires significant time, resources and commitment. We thank you for the consistent encouragement you have given us. Those occasional bouquets do inspire and motivate us to deal with the far more than occasional brickbats. Thank You.

Today, after nine years of sustained growth and organic evolution, we are entering a phase where Chowk’s reach and footprint is significant – we are clearly starting to bend minds, shape opinions and influence change. So much so that we have for the first time discovered that Chowk has enemies. Whereas in the past we would get a lot of nasty emails and threats, now we get concerted attacks and spin, even lies.

As operators of Chowk we are also noticing that our responsibilities have both increased and changed. What is demanded of us today goes beyond publishing articles and moderating discussions. Today, there are many voices out there that reach out and ask us to speak “As Chowk” on issues that concern the people of the sub-continent. So far we have consciously avoided editorialization but do wonder if that is soon to become our responsibility too. We seek your thoughts and opinions on this important decision.

As we enter the tenth year of sustained evolution and growth we do want you to know that there are many new and exciting features that will soon be added. Since 1997 we have upgraded Chowk 4 times. Each upgrade and revamp set a new standard in usability. The soon to be unveiled Chowk 5.0 is the most technically ambitious undertaking and will bring Chowk in synch with the techniques of Web 2.0. We do hope you will find all the features and services you have asked from us.

Thank you.