Srinagarites fume over J&K admin’s move to station paramilitary forces at community halls across city

Residents fume over J&K admin’s move to station paramilitary forces at community halls across Srinagar City

CRPF spokesperson Abiram Pankaj said they have no say in where their additional troops would be accommodated; added that CRPF’s accommodation is arranged by the civil administration

The Jammu and Kashmir administration’s decision to station additional CRPF personnel in the community or marriage halls of Srinagar has triggered resentment from locals and political leaders of the UT.

The residents have expressed their opposition after at least two major community halls were occupied by CRPF in the past few days. They have demanded an alternative accommodation for the security personnel.

“A few days back, some cops came to see if they could accommodate CRPF men in our local community hall. This is an absurd decision whosoever had taken it. People organise all their important functions in these halls. They are indispensable to the community life in the city,” said a resident of Nowpora, not wishing to identify his name.

A resident of Khanyar said these halls are amid the congested localities and any militant activity and the response from the forces would be deadly for the surrounding locals. “We fear the consequences,” he said.

Srinagar has 24 community/marriage halls managed by its municipal corporation, many of which are in the Old City area. Even government campaigns like vaccination drives, Aadhaar enrolments, and relief distributions are held at these centers.

These halls have now been assigned to CRPF by the administration with the help of local police. CRPF spokesperson Abiram Pankaj said they have no say in where their additional troops would be accommodated. “CRPF’s accommodation is arranged by the civil administration. These places have been assigned by the police to us and we have no choice. It is their prerogative. We only see whether the basic facilities are alright,” he added.

“Now we have come to know that people are facing some issues. It is up to the city SSP,” he said. However, calls and messages to Kashmir divisional commissioner Pandurang K Pole and Srinagar SSP Sandeep Choudhary did not elicit any response.

The CRPF spokesperson said, “The security scenario here changed after October 1. That is why more troops have been brought in from the north and south Kashmir.”

Srinagar MC commissioner Athar Aamir Khan refused to comment on the issue. “This is a very sensitive issue and I cannot comment on this,” he said.

Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “After placing security bunkers at every nook and corner of Srinagar, CRPF personnel have been pushed into marriage halls which is the only private space left for people here. Every day, more draconian laws are brought in with the sole purpose of suffocating people into silence.”

Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu, in a tweet on Friday, said the MC wasn’t consulted on this decision and added that he has spoken to the divisional commissioner for other options.

NC vice-president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “My government built community/marriage halls and demolished bunkers in Srinagar. It’s disappointing to see the security situation in the city has now regressed so much that new bunkers are being constructed and marriage halls are being used as barracks for security forces.”

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