2004 Dhemaji school bombing

Last updated

2004 Dhemaji school bombing
DhemajiStatue.JPG
Location Dhemaji, Assam, India
Date15 August 2004
09:30 (04:00 GMT)
Target Dhemaji College (District Parade ground)
Attack type
 School bombing
Deaths18
Injured40
Perpetrators ULFA

The 2004 Dhemaji school bombing occurred on 15 August 2004, on the occasion of Independence Day in Dhemaji, Assam. The bombing by the Assamese militant group called the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) killed 18 people and injured many others. Most of the victims were schoolchildren aged between 12 and 14 and their mothers. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Details

On the occasion of Independence Day, 15 August 2004, people, mostly were school children and their mothers, gathered at Dhemaji College ground for an Independence Day parade. At around 09:30 a bomb went off killing at least 18 and injuring many more. [1] [2] [3] [4] According to police, the bomb was planted near the college-gate [4] and triggered by a remote-controlled device. [2] It was exploded when the students and teachers of various schools were passing through the gate. [4]

Investigations

Police blamed ULFA, a banned Assamese militant group, which had called for a boycott of the event. The group continued denying responsibility. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Aftermath

Soon after the incident the local people allegedly attacked the police vehicles at the site for failure to protect the parade. Police had to launch a lathi charge and fire tear gas to bring the situation under control. [1] [3] The Superintendent of Police T. Thangou and the Additional Superintendent of Police Abu Sufian of Dhemaji were suspended for negligence of duty. The Deputy Commissioner was transferred for security lapse. [2] [3] [4]

Reactions

The injured were admitted to the Dhemaji Civil Hospital and other 10 being critically injured were shifted to Dibrugarh Civil Hospital. [2] [3] [4] Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi condemned the blast stating it to be "most barbaric, inhuman and pathetic" incident. [2] [3] He also announced that the state would be observing 16 August of every year as Mourning Day in memory of those killed. The chief minister announced Rs 300,000 for the victims and Rs 50,000 for the seriously injured. [2] The Dhemaji and Lakhimpur unit of AASU called a 12-hour bandh on 16 August 2004 in protest of the blast. [2] [4] The AASU had also demanded the resignation of the chief minister. The Assam State Committee of CPI(M) vehemently condemned the incident. It also organized a protest rally in the capital city of Guwahati on 17 August against the extremists for the killings and against the administration for the failure of protection. The committee had also called a 12-hour Assam-bandh on 18 August. [4]

Armed Forces Special Powers Act

The chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act should stay in the disturbed areas to avoid the increasing activities by the rebel groups. [2]

ULFA takes responsibility after five years

On 16 August 2004, one day after the blast, in a statement, Arabinda Rajkhowa, the chairman of the group, stated that the "Indian Occupation Force" and its agents used the schoolchildren as shield to defy the boycott call of the outfit. [4] On 13 December 2009, Paresh Barua, the C-in-C of the group, sought public apology and forgiveness for the blast. He stated in an e-mail that the ULFA leadership was misled by some of their cadres and junior leaders about the blast, which is why the leadership had to deny its involvement. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Liberation Front of Asom</span> Rebel organisation operating in state of Asom, India

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam. It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation, while the United States Department of State lists it under "other groups of concern."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in India</span> Overview of terrorism in India

Terrorism in India, according to the Home Ministry, poses a significant threat to the people of India. Compared to other countries, India faces a wide range of terror groups. Terrorism found in India includes Islamic terrorism, ultranationalist terrorism, and left-wing terrorism India is one of the countries most impacted by terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarun Gogoi</span> 13th Chief minister of Assam (1936–2020)

Tarun Gogoi was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He was the longest serving Chief Minister of Assam. He was a member of the Indian National Congress. During his tenure as the chief minister, he is credited with ending militant insurgency and mitigating violence in addition to improving the state's fiscal condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam Movement</span> Indian civil disobedience campaign

The Assam Movement (1979–1985) was a popular uprising in Assam, India, that demanded the Government of India detect, disenfranchise and deport illegal aliens. Led by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) the movement defined a six-year period of sustained civil disobedience campaigns, political instability and widespread ethnic violence. The movement ended in 1985 with the Assam Accord.

Hiteswar Saikia was an Indian politician who served as the 10th chief minister of Assam for two terms, firstly from 28 February 1983 to 23 December 1985 and then from 30 June 1991 to 22 April 1996. He was the 1st Governor of Mizoram from 1987 to 1989 and the 6th Lieutenant Governor of Mizoram from 1986 to 1987. He was the education minister in the Government of Assam from and from 1980 to 1981 and again from 1982 to 1982. He was the Minister of State for Home, Education And public relations from 1972 to 1974 and the minister of Home from 1974 to 1978. He represented the Nazira constituency in the Assam Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1988 and again from 1991 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Assam bombings</span> Terrorist attacks in India

The 2008 Assam bombings occurred on 30 October 2008, before noon in markets in Guwahati city and the surrounding area of western Assam. Reports indicated as many as eighteen bombs went off, causing at least 81 deaths and 470 injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Guwahati bombings</span>

The 2009 Guwahati bombings occurred on 1 January 2009 in Guwahati, Assam, India. They occurred a few hours before Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram was due to travel to the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Assam bombings</span>

The 2009 Assam serial blasts occurred on 6 April 2009 in the Maligaon and Dhekiajuli areas of the Assamese capital Guwahati on the eve of the Assamese Rajya Sabha MP and Indian Prime Minister's visit to address poll rallies. It also came during the campaigning phase of the 2009 Indian general election.

Asom Sena is a youth wing of All Assam Students Union in Assam. It was formed in Barpeta on December 8, 2005 with the Shiv Sena as its role model for the cause of social justice and reformation of the indigenous people of and within the state Its chief organizer is Lakshman Das and convener is Niranjan Nath. The prime architect of the outfit is Samujjal Bhattacharya, a longtime advisor to AASU.

Bhimkanta Buragohain, also called the Father of ULFA, was the political advisor and ideologue of the revolutionary organisation ULFA in Assam. He was also one of the founder leaders of the organisation.

The secret killings of Assam (1998–2001) was probably the darkest chapter in Assam's political history when relatives, friends, and sympathisers of ULFA insurgents were systematically killed by unknown assailants. These extra-judicial murders happened in Assam between 1998 and 2001.

Chitrabon Hazarika is the Finance Secretary of the banned group ULFA, Assam. He has also been holding the additional charge of general secretary since Anup Chetia’s arrest in 1997. A commerce graduate he hails from Jakhalabandha in Nagaon district of Assam. He is married to Pranati Deka, the arrested Cultural Secretary of the group.

The 28th Battalion was the most potent strike group of the ULFA, the banned separatist group of Assam. The 28 Battalion was headed by late hardcore militant leader Tapan Baruah. It is also called the Kashmir Camp. It has its headquarters in Myanmar (Burma).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assam separatist movements</span> Separatist movements in Assam, India

Assam separatist movements refers to a series of multiple insurgent and separatist movements that are or have been operating the in Northeast Indian state of Assam. The conflict started in the 1970s following tension between the native indigenous Assamese people and the Indian government over alleged neglect, political, social, cultural, economic issues and increased levels of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of 12,000 United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants and 18,000 others.

All Tai Ahom Students Union (ATASU) or Chom Hom Lik Hen Tai Ahom Tang Mung in Ahom language is a students' union in Assam, India.

Assam – 16th largest, 15th most populous and 26th most literate state of the 28 states of the democratic Republic of India. Assam is at 14th position in life expectancy and 8th in female-to-male sex ratio. Assam is the 21st most media exposed states in India. The Economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with 69% of the population engaged in it. Growth rate of Assam's income has not kept pace with that of India's during the Post-British Era; differences increased rapidly since the 1970s. While the Indian economy grew at 6 percent per annum over the period of 1981 to 2000, the same of Assam's grew only by 3.3 percent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Assam Legislative Assembly election</span> 2016 legislative assembly election in Assam, India

The Assam Legislative Assembly Election of 2016 was held in two phases, on 4 and 11 April 2016, to elect members of the 126 constituencies in Assam, a state in North-eastern India. The overall voter turnout was 84.72%, which set a new record for Assam. The turnout was an increase from the 2011 Assembly election figure of 75%.

On 1 November 2018, suspected militants of ULFA (Independent) massacred five Bengali Hindus on the banks of Brahmaputra near Kherbari village in Tinsukia district of Assam. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the killings. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal condemned the killings and pointed towards the NRC process as the trigger behind the killings. ULFA (Independent) denied any involvement in the massacre.

Rajen Sharma, commonly known as Uddipta Hazarika, was the first publicity secretary of the militant organisation United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Popular for his poem Mor Rakta Borna Protigya, Sharma was killed on 8 October 1989.

G Bidai is the Commander and Vice-president of the militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB). He is on the National Investigation Agency's (NIA)'s most wanted list, a primary counter-terrorist task force of India, with a bounty of Rupess 0.5 Million.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Bombs kills many at Indian parade". BBC News. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Talukdar, Sushanta (16 August 2004). "16 killed, 40 injured in Assam blast". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 18 August 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "17 killed in Assam blast, Dhemaji SP suspended". Rediff News. 15 August 2004. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rahman, Isfaqur (22 August 2004). "Killing of School Kids in Assam". People's Democracy. XXVIII (34). Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 "ULFA apologises for 2004 I-Day parade ground bombing". City Bengaluru. 13 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2010.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.