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North East: Assam : ULFA strikes again on non-Assamese - 7 more killed

	May 28, 2007

The Congress-led coalition government in Assam received yet another jolt last week when the banned extremist outfit, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), again targeted non-Assamese in the very heart of the capital city of Guwahati and killed seven of them on May 26.



A bomb planted in an abandoned autorickshaw exploded with deadly precision in a busy street near Kumarpara Paanchali, at Athgaon, killing seven people and injuring over 30. The condition of the five of the injured is reported critical.



Police sources said the militants triggered the bomb with a timer device at 10.35 a.m., just when the area was starting to bustle with activity. Top police and administrative officials arrived at the scene soon after, sirens blazing and escorted by a posse of security personnel.



Senior superintendent of police (city) S.N. Singh said: “The bomb was kept in an autorickshaw parked on the roadside. When it exploded, an LPG cylinder being carried on a nearby cycle-rickshaw also exploded under the impact of the blast which maximised the damage.”



Witnesses talked about the intensity of the blast, saying that the sound was heard far and wide. Buildings bore the impact, with shattered glass strewn all over the street.



People vented their anger on the police, who they alleged had failed to act despite reports that such explosions were likely. The growing fear and insecurity was fanned by a rumour that top Ulfa leader Jiten Dutta had warned of more attacks in the city in the next 72 hours.



“The blasts are happening owing to the laxity of the police. The policemen at checkposts are more interested in greasing their palms than in detecting explosives,” Sunil Sharma, a student, alleged.



The blast was followed by an impromptu bandh in the city’s central business district comprising Fancy Bazar, Panbazar, Athgaon and Machkhowa. Angry residents of Athgaon later took out a procession carrying placards with anti-Ulfa slogans.



East Guwahati MLA Robin Bordoloi, who visited GMCH to enquire about the condition of the injured, criticised the ULFA for spilling the blood of innocent citizens.



Apart from top police and civil officials, former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and BJP leader Bijoya Chakraborty visited the blast site. Mahanta demanded an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the recent explosions and adequate compensation for the victims.





24-hour bandh today



Twenty-one trade organisations, including the Kamrup Chamber of Commerce (KCC), are observing a 24-hour bandh today in protest against the blast. The city unit of the AGP has extended support to the bandh. KCC president M.P. Jain said the trade organisations would also stage a daylong dharna at Mahavir Park on Monday.



The Tarun Gogoi government called off all cultural functions scheduled to be held at Judges Field to mark the completion of one year in office. However, a public rally was held as per schedule.





Dent in Dispur image



Saturday’s blast in Guwahati, fifth in less than a month, is a grim reminder to the Tarun Gogoi government that its war against the Ulfa is ostensibly heading nowhere, as the banned extremist outfit appears to be bent upon continuing its terrorist strategy to overawe the State.



A Congress spokesman, Rajesh Joshi, said the incident was unfortunate as it would affect Assam’s road to prosperity by denting the confidence of investors.



The residents responded to the incident by observing a spontaneous bandh in the area. S. Kumar, a resident of the area where the blast took place, said, “I don’t know whether I will live to see tomorrow. Just take a count of how many blasts have taken place in the locality”.



The blast comes two days after Dispur effected a major police reshuffle in the city. That subversive elements have successfully targeted the business hub of the city at will is a telling comment on the existing intelligence network.



The blast appears to have well-timed to coincide with the Tarun Gogoi government’s celebrations to mark the completion of its one year in office.



“What is the government celebrating ? Success or death? The need of the hour is the political will to revive the peace process,” AGP legislator Ramendra Narayan Kalita said.



Describing the celebrations as a political gimmick, PCPIA chief co-ordinator Lachit Bordoloi asked, “When everybody is under threat, how can it (government) claim to be successful ?”



Bordoloi said the recent turn of events would deteriorate the situation further and make things more difficult for the peace process”.



Blaming the government for being “insincere”, he said, “It seems the government is trying to play a different game. This type of policy will not work.”



Bordoloi said if an opinion poll was carried out, the people would overwhelmingly vote for the peace process. He added that the PCPIA, an umbrella organisation of 27 civil society groups, was building momentum in working towards a peace process.





Centre condemns explosion



As usual, the Union Government condemned the blast, say-ing such incidents would not succeed in weakening the Centre’s resolve to deal strongly with divisive forces in Assam and other north-eastern states.



The Centre has since rushed additional paramilitary forces to beef up security in the state. The home ministry is in constant touch with the state government and monitoring the situation regularly.



Home Minister Shivraj Patil also spoke to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi after the blast.