Residents anguish over bomb blast incidents in Assam

Guwahati, April 13 (ANI): Residents across Assam have expressed deep resentment about the mayhem caused by militants in the recent past.

The recent serials blasts in Assam have once again strengthened the people's belief that militants are only concerned about materialistic goals, and not the society's welfare.

The four bomb explosions claimed the lives of eight people and injured 62 others.

A bomb went off at a busy place at Maligaon Chariali in Guwahati in front of a restaurant near the North East Frontier Railway headquarters. The explosion triggered a major fire in the parking lot, gutting several vehicles.

Apart from that there were three more blasts across Assam in Dhekaijuli, Mankachar and Udalgiri, which killed one and injured several others.

"We were stuck inside, I cannot speak. We were suffocated and still facing problems in breathing. There was lot of smoke filled inside," said Iman, an eyewitness of the blast in Guwahati

Police suspect ULFA's involvement in blasts, as the outfit has carried out such attacks in the past before its 'Raising Day'.

The blasts also took place ahead of the Prime minister Manmohan Singh's scheduled visit to the state.

Meanwhile, the intelligence inputs indicated that the outfit was planning to carry out some big attacks.

The government warned taken stringent action against the perpetrators to safeguard innocent people from getting killed.

"No quarter will be given and no quarter will be asked of ULFA. ULFA is a banned organisation where at least two battalion of ULFA are engaged in a virtual war everyday. ULFA will be fought by security forces. There will be setbacks from time to time but we will overcome ULFA," said P. Chidambaram, the Union Home Minister.

There is a growing belief here that with the Lok Sabha Elections just round the corner, militant groups are trying to create a fear psychosis among the people.

Experts feel that militants are trying to hamper the democratic process by carrying out such violent activities.

"Fear psychosis that is gripping the mind of the people is very serious this time. Because there is so many bomb blast in recent times. Last week, two bomb blasts killed about ten people. Now therefore, the political violence is growing in Assam is very serious. We have seen in the past times also that ULFA and other insurgent group utilize election as a means to ventilate their grievances but this is a very nefarious way of expressing their grievances," said Dr. Noni Mahanta, one political analyst.

Nine bomb blast which have occurred in the last six months in Guwahati, have left 75 people killed and over 300 injured. (ANI)