The Hindu : National : Probe ordered into burning down of Kashmir school

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Wednesday, Jul 07, 2004

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National

Probe ordered into burning down of Kashmir school

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, JULY 6. As Srinagar observed a strike today to protest against the burning down of the historical Islamia School, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Mr. Sayeed, who is an alumni of the school, visited the site. The school was set up in 1898 by the renowned Islamic scholar and then Mirwaiz (head-priest) of the Valley, Moulvi Rasool Shah, also known as Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan of Kashmir.

He directed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to probe the cause of fire and submit a report to the Government.

The school was set ablaze on Monday and police blamed subversive elements for the attack.

The fire destroyed about 30,000 books and a rare handwritten manuscript of the Koran. The Chief Minister was pained over the damage to the heritage building that was also a great bank of knowledge.

"Institutions like these take centuries to grow. The service this school has rendered to the people of the valley is unmatched," he Interacting with the Principal of the school, Mr. Sayeed said the Government would consider offering a grant to rebuild the school if the governing board of the school made such a request.

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