M A I N   N E W S

Violence marks bandh against school fire
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 6
Stray incidents of stone pelting and the setting ablaze of a bus by demonstrators marked the general strike here today called against the burning down of Islamia High School. The call was given by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief of the Awami Action Committee and the Anjuman-e-Nusrat-ul-Islam, heading the century-old educational institution.

The Mirwaiz claimed that there had been foul play and there was a “deep conspiracy” behind the fire that devastated the building on Sunday night. The buildings housed a 10-plus-two school and a rich treasure of Islamic literature. Several organisations and political parties have expressed shock over the incident.

All shops and business establishments remained closed here in response to the call. Schools were also closed and there was thin attendance in government offices. Similar reports were also received from other parts of the valley. Miscreants resorted to stone pelting in some parts of the interior city, while a bus was set ablaze at Narwara here this afternoon.

The Governor, Lieut-Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, today visited downtown Srinagar and took stock of the damage caused to the learning centre established in 1899.

“The destruction of a heritage complex is a monumental loss", the Governor said while expressing his grief over the gutting of the school in Rajouri Kadal in the interior of the city. He said he would ask the state government to take up restoration work on the complex soon.

General Sinha announced that the National Cadet Corps would undertake voluntary service to help in the restoration of the complex. “I spoke to the Director-General, NCC, in New Delhi this morning, who responded enthusiastically to the proposal’, he said.

The secretary, Anjuman-e-Nastratul Islam, and the Principal of the school briefed the Governor about the incident while the Senior Superintendent of Police said the cause of the fire was being investigated.