Bid to set ablaze Firdous cinema

Police this evening foiled a bid by some youth to set ablaze Firdous Cinema, vacated by Central Reserve Police (CRPF) last week, in Srinagar’s sensitive down town area.

Scores of youth entered the compound of the Cinema in Hawal area and tried to set it ablaze but timely intervention by the police saved the building. However, a wooden hut used as a bunker by the CRPF personnel was gutted.

The CRPF last week vacated the building after the security forces used it as a security camp for past two decades of militancy to fight militants in this area. The CRPF had taken over this building from Border Security Forces in 2003 when they replaced them to fight urban militancy. BSF had occupied the Cinemas in 1993 and used it as their camps.

The attack on the building comes when the statement of NC president and Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on re-opening of Cinemas and liquour shops in Kashmir valley resulted in a controversy here.

CRPF Left Firdous cinema

After 2 decades of occupation, CRPF vacates Firdous cinema

After removing at least 38 makeshift bunkers  from Srinagar last year, CRPF today officially vacated Firdous cinema building in Hawal area of old city.

The cinema was under the occupation of different security forces since the eruption of armed militancy across the state. CRPF officially said a troop cut of one more battalion has been done in Srinagar city.

Suspected militants had hurled grenades on cinema houses dozens of times and during a fidayeen attack in 2005 two militants were killed in the premises of the cinema.

On November 23, 2005 two militants and three Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed when the CRPF foiled the militant bid to storm their camp in the Firdous cinema. A member of the fidayeen squad was killed when CRPF guards opened fire to prevent them from storming their camp.

The cinema was first occupied by Border Security Forces (BSF) way back in 1993 and was handed over to CRPF in 2003 during replacements of forces across the Srinagar city.

Public Relations Officer CRPF, Mohsin Shahidi, told Kashmir Times that a troop cut of one more battalion has been made in Srinagar. “162 CRPF battalion has been withdrawn from the area and relocated to Kupwara. It will replace 152 CRPF battalion there in Kupwara,” he said and added that he has no information about any troop withdrawal in future. “These are decisions from higher ups. Yet there is no twinkle about any further withdrawal. We handed over the cinema to local police and civil administrations officially,” PRO said.

Here it a needs a mention that after the last years massive protest rage against the civilian killings, at least 38 bunkers were removed from various parts of Srinagar city.

The bunkers of CRPF  were removed from the densely populated Rainawari, Rajouri Kadal, Karan Nagar, Batmaloo, Barzulla and some other areas of the city.

Removing of bunkers was part of the 8-point CBMs announced by the Centre on September 25 last year after the massive unrest across the valley. The CBMs were meant to provide relief and instill a sense of security and confidence in the people of the state.