Once Pampore's pride, now just mangled remains

Three years ago, when the newly constructed Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) complex was unveiled, the imposing structure quickly became the landmark in Kashmir, earning the moniker "pride of Pampore".

Two militant attacks later, not only is the EDI left with pockmarked walls and dented infrastructure, but the militancy-infested Valley's entrepreneurial spirit has also been seriously punctured.

Since February, the EDI complex has come under two separate attacks, with the gun battles between militants and security forces lasting over 100 hours. The first one took place at the main building, where classes on business and skill development activities were held. This week's attack was on the hostel building, whose glass facade is now shattered. The green roof has blown up, debris is strewn all around, computers and furniture have been dismantled and patches of black soot cover the building from all sides.

What was once a symbol of development and progress in the Valley, today stands as a haunting reminder of Kashmir's reality. EDI founder-director Dr Mohammad Parray said, "It's (EDI) devastated completely. There is nothing left inside. Everything is damaged. It's very painful to see.''

Kashmiris are accustomed to this pain. In the 90s, militants fervently attacked popular places, shutting down restaurants, cinema halls and hotels. Since the beginning of militancy, there has hardly been any construction of public infrastructure. Craft Development Institute, Carpet Development Institute and Institute of Hotel Management have come up in the last decade. But the sheer size and standard of EDI made it the showpiece structure, and every visiting delegation, including foreign nationals, paid a visit.

The attacks have left the complex severely mangled.

Strategic location

Located along the National Highway (NH) with Jhelum river running on one side and spread over an area of 1 lakh sq feet, the EDI building is in close proximity to the Army's 15 corps headquarter in Badami Bagh, five km away in Srinagar. The hostel building can accommodate 200 people in its 60 rooms, each having an attached bathroom and service facilities, including kitchen. Both times, militants took cover in the sprawling seven-storey structure, firing and lobbing grenades at the security forces outside intermittently, playing the cat and mouse game for days.

General Officer Commanding (GOC), Victor Force, Major General Ashok Narula, said one of the reasons the recent operation took a long time was that each room had to be cleared to flush the militants out. The building provided room for militants to manoeuvre, making the complex an attractive target. A former EDI officer said every other building in Kashmir is small in size and height, and the Army can check them in a matter of hours. "By taking shelter here, militants could engage forces for a long time,'' he said.

Attractive target

The fact that EDI is a state government project also makes it a symbolic target. Constructed in 2013 at an estimated cost of Rs16 crore, it was considered to have the best infrastructure in the Valley. "The EDI showed that despite turbulence, militancy, and unrest, if civilians had aspirations and vigour, they could achieve their dreams,'' said a former employee.

Since its inception in 2004, over 27,000 individuals have been trained in various schemes at EDI, enabling them to be entrepreneurs. Private industries, business houses and multinational corporations have stayed away from investment in the Valley due to militancy. The EDI nurtured this aspiration among locals, making them self-employed businessmen and women. It was a small effort in making the Valley economically self-reliant.

The ongoing curfew and unrest after the Burhan Wani encounter has already slowed the pace of EDI activities. "We may recover infrastructure-wise, but the damage these attacks have made to the cause of entrepreneurship is huge,'' Dr Parray said.