First museum on explosives in Assam

Guwahati, Nov 17: With terrorist activities becoming a global reality, a lot of people have started showing curiosity in understanding the details of blasts. Such inquisitive people can now educate themselves by visiting the Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati which has instituted India's first ever museum on explosives.

Forensic Science Laboratory in Guwahati is meant to develop methodologies and facilitate in probing blast explosions in detail and thereby preventing such incidents in future. This Explosive Museum, inaugurated recently will be a nodal point to research and develop methodologies to probe blast explosions in detail and thereby prevent such incidents in the country. It may be recalled that Assam has witnessed several violent incidents in the last couple of years, the worst being the recent bomb blasts on October 30 in Guwahati and other places in the State.

Over 80 people had died and several injured in the serial blasts in the State capital and other areas last month.

The credit for setting up the museum is attributed to Dr. Padma Pani, currently Joint Director of the Forensic Laboratory of Guwahati, regarded to be among the best in country.

This institution has trained personnel not only from the north-east but also from many other States and foreign countries.

"This is a really good effort to have a place which you can use for the capacity building of the police officials as well as even the public to see and gain knowledge on this. Because such type of gallery or museum can provide a place where one can get to know how different kinds of explosives have been used in the recent times as well as earlier. And how police actions and other steps are required to check the menace of illegal explosives," said Dr. Padma Pani, Joint Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Assam.

Padma Pani says that in north-east there have been around 1,000 blasts over the years and some way or the other, he has been associated in the investigation of many blasts. And, thus it came to his mind to set up an "Explosive Museum", which he says will help Investigators in many ways.

Dr. Padma Pani has also authored many books on forensic sciences including a couple in Assamese. An expert in forensic science, he has been a regular guest speaker at seminars on criminology.

Besides the police personnel, general public can also come to the museum and gather knowledge about explosives.

The explosive materials that have been displayed in the museum include the RDX, PTD devices, TNT explosivse, grenades, guillotine sticks, detonators, and many others devices that have been used since early times in the North East. by Peter Alex Todd

ANI