Srinagar, July 9 -- On a prized stretch of land near Lal Chowk, stands a locked, underlit structure that was once the city's pride. When it was inaugurated in 2010, Sangermaal was billed as the future of urban Kashmir. A sleek, glass-fronted building meant to be a cultural and commercial hub. It was a showcase of "modern Kashmir."

But fifteen years later, it is neither cultural nor commercial.

Sangermaal is largely abandoned, its shops mostly shuttered, its footfall minimal. For many in Srinagar, it has become a punchline. "Sangermaal hasa chu failure," locals mutter. This Sangermaal is a failure.

What's less known is how hard Jammu lobbied for one just like it. When the project was unveiled, the then deputy chief minister of the erstw...