SRINAGAR: “The burnt Lal Chowk represents the face of Kashmir today,” comments, Hamid Shah, a local businessman, as violence and arson took a toll of 110 lives in the valley and. destroyed 200 shops in the commercial center here recently.
“Charges and countercharges will continue on whether the BSF or the militants set the market on fire on Saturday. But the shop keepers will be the biggest losers” said a businessman of the adjoining locality.
Said Ghulam Mohammed, an employee in a private firm, “Our salary check for the last month has yet to be encased. The post offices and the banks functioned just one day this month”.
Militants blamed the security forces for the fire, which also destroyed landmark buildings like Bombay Gujarat Hotel and Ganda Singh building.
The Director General of Police, B.S. Bedi, said:”There is clinching evidence that the militants started the fire at the Sanatan Dharam building, which housed a dharamshala during normal days”.
However, the agitated shop keepers and residents have gone more in tune to the militants’ version. Gen Rao, his advisor, Lt Gen D.D.Saklani, and other officials visited Lal Chowk soon after the incident. They put the blame squarely on the security forces. The Hizbul Mujahideen and other militant groups blame the security force for the fire, a human rights activist said, “Though the agitated crowd, protesting against the killing of Hizbul leader, Mabool Ilahi, set fire to a portion of the Sanatan Dharam building, the BSF caused the major fire in Lal Chowk and in Maisuma.”
Article extracted from this publication >> April 30, 1993
