At least 700 shops gutted as fire ravages Arunachal''s oldest market
Itanagar (PTI): Around 700 shops were reduced to ashes in a massive fire that broke out at Naharlagun Daily Market near Itanagar on Tuesday morning, police said.
There was no casualty in the fire that was first spotted around 4 am, they said. The market, the oldest in the state, is situated near the fire station and Naharlagun police station, around 14 km from Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar.
The fire is suspected to be caused by firecrackers or lamps lit for Diwali celebrations, police said. Firefighters swung into action immediately but as the shops were made of bamboo and timber with dry items stored in abundance in the market, the blaze spread fast, they claimed.
Panicked shopkeepers struggled to save anything they could as exploding LPG cylinders further added fuel to the fire. Three fire tenders, one of which was brought in from Itanagar, fought for hours to bring the blaze under control, police said.
The exact damage caused by the fire is being assessed, but it is estimated to be in crores of rupees, they said.
Superintendent of Police (Capital) Jimmy Chiram said the exact cause of the fire would be known after the completion of the investigation by the fire department.
Shopkeepers alleged that after spotting the blaze they rushed to the adjacent fire station but no personnel could be found. Further, when the fire services personnel arrived, the fire engines did not have water.
To refill the engines, the personnel had to travel a long distance, and they could come back with water only around 5 am, by which most of the market was already gutted, the shopkeepers alleged.
"The police also did not act. All of them should be terminated from service for failure to perform their duties," Naharlagun Bazar Welfare Committee president Kipa Nai said.
After speaking to the shopkeepers, Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACC&I) president Tarh Nachung demanded that all fire personnel on duty be suspended for negligence.
It was the failure of the government that it did not set up the minimum infrastructure required for fire fighting -- such as water filling points, which should immediately be made available at different locations in the Capital Complex, he said.
"If this is the situation in the heart of the capital, what would be the situation in the districts," he questioned.
Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso told reporters that the market would be rebuilt by the state government in cooperation with ACC&I.
#WATCH | Arunachal Pradesh: A massive fire broke out in Itanagar's Naharlagun due to unknown reasons. Over 700 shops burnt to ashes; however, no casualties reported yet
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2022
As per sources, fire engulfed only 2 shops in the initial 2hrs, but the fire dept failed to control the spread pic.twitter.com/edeFudEXHl
Some 700 #shops have been gutted in the #Naharlagun vegetable market #fire. Most of the #vegetableshops are managed by #women vendors. pic.twitter.com/cTzW4B0LJu
— The Arunachal Times (@arunachaltimes_) October 25, 2022
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Bhojshala case: Disputed structure built from remains of pre-existing temples, claims ASI
Indore (PTI): The ASI has told the Madhya Pradesh High Court that a massive structure dating back to the Paramara kings' rule existed at the disputed Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex, and the current structure was built from the remains of temples.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made the claim on Tuesday based on its 98-day scientific survey and over 2,000-page report.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side claims the monument as the Kamal Maula Mosque. The disputed complex is protected by the ASI.
During the hearing before Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the HC's Indore bench, Additional Solicitor General Sunil Kumar Jain, representing the ASI, presented a detailed account of the scientific survey conducted two years ago at the complex.
Referring to the ASI's survey report, he said, "Retrieved architectural remains, sculptural fragments, large slabs of inscriptions with literary texts, Nagakarnika inscriptions on pillars, etc, suggest that a large structure associated with literary and educational activities existed at the site. Based on scientific investigations and archaeological remains recovered during the investigations, this pre-existing structure can be dated to the Paramara period."
It can be said that the existing structure was made from the parts of earlier temples, based on scientific investigations, survey and archaeological excavations conducted, study and analysis of retrieved finds, study of architectural remains, sculptures, and inscriptions, art and sculptures, Jain said quoting the report.
Summarising the report, he also drew the court's attention to the fact that the archaeological study identifies that many architectural components, such as pillars and beams, were originally part of temple structures before being repurposed for a mosque.
"The evidence of this transition includes Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions that were damaged or hidden, alongside sculptures of deities and animals that were often mutilated or defaced," Jain contended.
The report also states that "all Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions are older than the Arabic and Persian inscriptions, indicating that users or engravers of the Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions occupied the place earlier".
In light of the Muslim side's earlier objections, the bench wanted to know why there were some discrepancies in the ASI's responses regarding the status of the disputed complex in the cases filed over the years.
The Additional Solicitor General argued that earlier studies of the complex involved only officials, while the current survey involved scientists and the use of advanced technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
The hearing in the Bhojshala case will continue on Wednesday.
The high court has been regularly hearing four petitions and one writ appeal regarding the religious nature of the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex since April 6.
