Shyam Lal Tikoo
Pandit Shyam Lal Tikoo participated in freedom struggle of India.
In June’1946, Pt. Shyam Lal was with the imprisoned National leader Pandit Jawhar Lal Nehru at Kohalla (now in Pakistan occupied J&K). Pt. Shyam Lal was part of local Kashmiri resistance group called Salamati Fauj, formed against the Pakistan backed tribal looters; on 27th October’1947 Pt. Shyam Lal guided the Indian Army to safety from the ambush laid by the looters on the outskirts of Pattan in Kashmir; in this ambush Lt. Col Dewan Ranjit Rai attained martyrdom and became the first recipient of Mahavir-Chakar.
Pt. Shyam Lal came from the distinguished family of Pt. Vishwas Nath of Habbakadal in Srinagar; whose one son Pt. Nand Ram became Kabul’s Dewan in 19th Century; and the other son Pt. Har Das aka Kailpatsha, became the Sahibkar (Chief Administrator) of Kashmir; who was martyred by Afghans in 1814, at the age of thirty-four.
Reference: Barastishai