Following additional deployment of 5000 troops of the central Reserve Paramilitary Forces (CRPF) in Kashmir, marriage halls in Srinagar are being overtaken by the forces converting them to bunkers.
In the past few days CRPF have occupied marriage halls in Shatrashahi, Illahi Bagh areas of Srinagar city and have also done recce in the Barbarshah, Nowshera and other areas.
Locals in Shutrashahi area of Srinagar where locals staged protest, as per news agency. The locals said that children would play in the premises of marriage halls while marriage functions and other functions are held in these halls.
“We were shocked to see CRPF men in large numbers camping in the marriage hall. Normally such things happen during election time, but this time around, there is no election on cards. We were totally surprised to see CRPF men along with their belongings occupying the marriage hall,” said a local resident of Shutrashahi area of Srinagar, adding that “occupying marriage hall will pose a great risk to locals living in the area.”
“This area is already congested and the marriage hall is just a few hundred meters away from the civil secretariat and District Police Lines (DPL) Srinagar. Keeping CRPF men in a marriage has already triggered fear among locals living here,” said another resident. The locals appealed to the LG Manoj Sinha led administration to provide alternate accommodation to the CRPF men instead of lodging them in marriage halls.
Locals of Ilahibagh-Malbagh area of Srinagar outskirts also alleged that CRPF men were lodged in a marriage hall in their locality adding that the government is putting the local population at great risk by accommodating CRPF men in marriage halls. “Marriage halls are for locals, not CRPF men. We fail to understand that despite having huge infrastructure at its disposal, why marriage halls were chosen for accommodating CRPF personnel,” said an elderly local resident.
CRPF spokesman in Srinagar Abhiram Pankaj said that first of all, CRPF has no authority to occupy any government or private building. “Providing accommodation to us is the sole prerogative of UT administration and police. Administration may have used these places (marriage halls) for the short and temporary stay of CRPF men,” he said
Sources in the administration said that the decision to accommodate the additional troops is coordinated by the Divisional Commissioner’s office.
Featured Photo: Umer Asif
