The Hindu : National : 105-year-old school in Srinagar burnt down

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004

National

National

105-year-old school in Srinagar burnt down

By Shujaat Bukhari

A firefighter near the gutted building of the Islamia High School in Srinagar on Monday. — AP

SRINAGAR JULY 5. The Islamia School, Srinagar's oldest educational institution run by the Anjuman-e-Nustratul Islam, a socio-religious organisation headed by the influential Mirwaiz family, was gutted in a devastating fire on Sunday night.

The incident sparked strong protest in downtown Srinagar and the Mirwaiz family alleged that it was not an accident but a "conspiracy to destroy history."

Reports said that the fire broke out late last night in the upper storey of the 105-year-old building and before the fire tenders could reach the spot, the entire complex comprising three buildings with 28 rooms and two halls was reduced to a rubble. The wooden complex continued to retain the status of a heritage building even though it was reconstructed after it was destroyed in 1952.

Shahid-ul-Islam, an aide of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said the two-storey complex was destroyed because it was set on fire. "It is just not an accident. Petrol has been sprinkled over all the three buildings of the complex. All the three buildings catching fire at the same time is just not a chance," he said.

The Nustratul Islam has called a strike tomorrow and the Abbas-led Hurriyat Conference has supported it. It has also demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

The Mirwaiz's family alleged that the destruction of the school was aimed at limiting his influence especially for the bold stand he had taken on the Kashmir issue.

Spread over almost a hectare in the congested Rajouri Kadal locality, the Islamia School was set up by Moulvi Rasul Shah in 1899. Prominent politicians, including the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, bureaucrats and intellectuals are among its alumni.

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