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North East: Assam - ULFA violence continues - six more killed in blast |
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Even as moves are afoot to restart the peace process with the militant outfit, ULFA, the banned separatist organisation is continuing with its terrorist activities.
At least six persons, including three minors, were killed and 14 injured in a blast near a mosque in Machkhowa on Saturday, June 23. The blast occurred around 7.30 a.m. amidst heightened security measures for the Asian Athletics Grand Prix which started in Guwahati in the afternoon and the Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya temple, which began a day earlier.
Director-General of Police R.N. Mathur told reporters that the blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Although no organisation claimed responsibility for the blast, Additional Superintendent of Police, City, Rajen Singh said that the modus operandi indicated the hand of the ULFA. The injured were admitted in the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital from where the seriously injured were shifted to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.
“The bomb had been kept on a bicycle and it went off around 7.30 am,” disclosed Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Avinash Joshi. The cycle was parked in front of the mosque adjacent to the vegetable wholesale market in Machkhowa. Most of those hurt were morning shoppers or vendors.
ULFA, as usual, denied its involvement in the blast. Its spokesman, Raju Baruah, in an e-mailed statement, denied the outfit’s hand in the Machkhowa blast. But police are convinced after the preliminary probe that it was the banned outfit’s handiwork. “From the modus operandi in today’s explosion, which is similar to that of recent blasts in the city, ULFA is the prime suspect,” senior superintendent of police (city) Surendra Kumar said.
The blast sent security forces into a tizzy. Not just the grand prix, Thai Commerce Minister Krik-Krai Jirapaet and Union Ministers Jairam Ramesh and Mani Shankar Aiyar were also in the town.
Revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and AGP leader Chandra Mohan Patowary were the first among the politicians to visit the site.
“It is not possible for the government to deploy security personnel in every nook and corner of the city. We need to generate strong public opinion against such violent acts if we have to prevent such bomb blasts in future,” Barman said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who condemned the blast, spoke to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi after the incident.
Mamoni goes with her peace plan
Writer Mamoni Raisom Goswami who had earlier suffered setbacks in her attempts to bring back the ULFA on the negotiating table, is still not out of the ring. She has picked up the gauntlet thrown by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, making clear her willingness to walk the extra mile to bring ULFA leaders to the talks table.
Goswami took up the State Government’s challenge to meet the ULFA top brass and convince them to come to the negotiating table. This came a day after Gogoi criticised her for not making any attempt to meet the outfit’s leadership, calling into question her sincerity and neutrality.
The writer told newspersons that if the government so wanted, then she was willing to “go abroad” to meet the ULFA leadership. But, as she pointed out, she was not an expert on conflict resolution. She wants an emissary appointed by the government to accompany her.
Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta suggested that the government should send her abroad to negotiate with the ULFA leadership. “We have seen that the government has sent former Union Home Secretary K. Padmanabhiah and Union minister Oscar Fernandez to Amsterdam and other places for negotiating with another militant group. Similarly, it can also send her (Goswami) to hold discussions with the ULFA,” he said.
On Gogoi’s observations about her role as peacemaker, the writer said there was little she could have done other than meet the Prime Minister and other central leaders to convince them to initiate a peace process.
The writer reiterated that her role was merely to bring the two sides to the negotiating table. “I cannot be an emissary myself. I am not qualified for the job. I can only be a bridge between the two sides,” she said.
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