Bandh cripples life in Guwahati

Guwahati, May 28 (UNI) The dawn-to-dusk Guwahati bandh today crippled life in this north-eastern city.

The 12-hour strike, which would end at 1700 hours, had been called by the city committee of the main Opposition party Asom Gana Parishad(AGP) against the Asom government's alleged failure to check the recurrance of blasts in the city.

With Saturday's alleged ULFA bombing in Athgaon area of the city, which left seven people dead and several injured, fresh in the minds of the people, the call for bandh received mass response, with people using the opportunity to register their protest against the violence.

Business establishments, banking services and educational institutions remained closed. Attendance in government offices was also sparse.

Vehicles mostly kept off the roads with few state-corporation run buses and private vehicles plying.

No untoward incident has so far been reported in the city.

The ULFA militants had been targeting Guwahati since the past few months, with as many as five blasts in the city in the month of May itself. Saturday's blast was the deadliest in the last six months.

The militants had been targeting the busy market areas and commercial locations, including Athgaon, Fancy Bazar and Machkhowa.

Saturday's blast had created an uproar against the ULFA, with the general public holding protest rallies and prayer meetings against the violence.

Political parties and students' and other civil society organizations, including commercial bodies, had also joined the protest.

The administration had also come under heavy criticism from the people over the failure to curb the recurrence of blasts in the city.

UNI