- Mehbooba directs safety audit of all shrines
- Asks for early start of restoration works at Khanqah i Mou’la, praises local youth for their efforts to prevent fire spread
- INTACH to come up with drawings within 2 days, regular prayer from Thursday after laying of new furnishing
Srinagar: A nocturnal blaze damaged one of Kashmir’s holiest Muslim shrines, the “Khanqah-e-Moula”, in old Srinagar city. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot soon after receiving news about the fire during the night and doused the flames before the blaze could cause any major damage to the shrine, said police. A police official said that matter is being investigated and all measures are underway to ascertain the causes of fire investigating
As thousands of devotees rushed there on Wednesday morning to assess the damage caused due to fire, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti rushed from Srinagar and visited the shrine and took stock of the damage caused to shrine by fire.
Cancelling all her engagements, Mehbooba Mufti air dashed to Srinagar early morning and straight away drove to the shrine of saint in the Shahr i Khaas. Chief Minister went round various areas of the shrine complex to assess the quantum of damage. She sought a detailed appraisal from the local administration regarding the fire incident.
Interacting with the members of the management committee and devotees, Mehbooba Mufti said the shrine of Hazrat Amir i Kabir (R.A.) symbolizes the pluralistic ethos of Kashmir society from which every citizen of the State draws spiritual solace. Chief Minister expressed her deep appreciation for the local youth who came forward and prevented the fire from spreading.
On the occasion, people of the area demanded installation of CCTVs in the shrine complex, availability of fire tenders in the locality, scientific protection to the wood structures at the shrine and expediting shrine expansion plan. Chief Minister faced some hard moments during her visit to the revered shrine that was partially damaged in the fire incident. Eyewitnesses said that a number of people confronted the Chief Minister while she assured them of thorough probe into the incident and also assured the people present there that government will no stone unturned in restoring the pristine glory of the shrine. Witnesses added a lot of women hugged and kissed the hands of the Chief Minister while a number of people who had assembled their raised pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans as Mehbooba was leaving from the shrine.
Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari; Minister of State for Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash; MLC, Khursheed Alam; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan; IGP Kashmir zone, Munir Khan and other senior officers accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit.
Emotional scenes were witnessed while some women were seen wailing and uilt in memory of renowned Muslim saint, scholar and preacher Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, the shrine mosque is highly revered as it stands out in reverence to the saint whose teachings helped spread Islam in the valley. Kashmiris reverently call Mir Syed Ali Hamadani “Amir-e-Kabeer” (Great Commander) and “Shah-e-Hamadan” (King of Hamadan). He was born in Hamadan, Persia, in 1314 and breathed his last in 1384.
Late in the day chairing a high level meeting the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti directed conduct of safety audit of shrines in the Kashmir Valley by the concerned Departments and immediately taking all fire prevention measures at these places. She directed all the concerned officers to review the safety and protection of all the shrines of the Valley in the backdrop of Tuesday night’s fire incident at Khankah i Mou’la. Chief Minister directed all concerned Departments like Wakf Board, Fire & Emergency Services, PDD, PHE, Police, SMC and other related Department to jointly conduct the safety audit of all the shrines and come up with whatever precautionary measures are required to protect these places of reverence. Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari; Minister of State for Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash and MLC, Khursheed Alam were present in the meeting.
Mehbooba Mufti directed installation of fire hydrants, smoke alarms, CCTVs and other precautions to prevent fire occurrence at any shrine in the State.
The Chief Minister, who is also the chairperson of the Wakf Board, directed immediate start of restoration work at the Khanqah i Mou’la shrine and complete it within the shortest period. She asked the INTACH to come up with the drawings within two days so that restoration work is started. She said money would be no constraint in the completion of restoration works at the shrine, which she described as civilizational soul for the people of the State.
Mehbooba Mufti noted with satisfaction that with the joint efforts of the local administration and people of the area, the fire at the shrine complex was not let to spread. She expressed her deep appreciation for the local youth who came forward and prevented the fire from spreading while directing the local administration to prepare list of such volunteers so that they would be suitably rewarded.
The Chief Minister was informed that regular prayers at the shrine would commence from Thursday after completing the cleaning, drying of floor and laying of new furnishing at the shrine.
The Chief Minister also directed the concerned agencies to expedite the restoration works at the Hazrat Peer Dastageer sahib shrine (R.A.) at Khanyar so that the devotees are facilitated at the earliest.
On the occasion, the INTACH and JKPCC offered to do restoration job at the shrine free of cost in view of the importance of the shrine for the people of the State.
The meeting decided that Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar would monitor and supervised the restoration works at the shrine personally to get these completed in time.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan; IGP Kashmir zone, Munir Khan; Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed; Chief Executive, J&K Wakf Board, Fayaz Ahmad Lone; heads of several Engineering Departments; Khudaman i Khanqah; and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister, cancelling all her engagements at Jammu, air dashed to Srinagar to personally assess the damage caused by fire at the shrine. She went round various areas of the shrine complex to assess the quantum of damage and sought a detailed appraisal from the local administration regarding the fire incident.
Interacting with the members of the management committee and devotees, Mehbooba Mufti said the shrine of Hazrat Amir i Kabir (R.A.) symbolizes the pluralistic ethos of Kashmir society from which every citizen of the State draws spiritual solace. She expressed her deep appreciation for the local youth who came forward and prevented the fire from spreading.
State Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir while expressing serious anguish over the damages caused to most revered shrine has demanded a probe. “Although the incident has occurred due to lightening, but the authorities must conduct an enquiry to ascertain the other aspects of the incident,” Mir said.
