Posted on 08/15/2004 12:07:22 AM PDT by familyop
GUWAHATI: At least 15 people were killed on Sunday, when militants exploded a powerful bomb during Independence Day celebrations in an eastern town in Assam, police said.
The blast, blamed on the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), occurred at 9.30 am during the official celebrations at a parade ground at Dhemaji town.
Most victims were reported to be students participating in the Independence Day parade in the district headquarter town.
Inspector General of Police Khagen Sharma said the attack was suspected to be the handiwork of ULFA.
Chaos and panic prevailed at the Dhemaji ground following the blast and soldiers quickly moved in to cordon off the area, police said.
The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals.
The ULFA was among 10 groups that had called a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations in the northeastern states. Some 50,000 soldiers were deployed in the region to provide security for the celebrations.
Here's some info on the ULFA problem in India, although I'm somewhat new to this, also (feel free to advise).
Assama has about 848 tea plantations and half of India's petroleum. Assamese are wealthier and more well educated, on average, than most of their Indian neigbors. Most of them desire independence in some ways (regarding what New Delhi takes from them), but most are also realistic. If they seceded, the Chinese might get them.
The ULFA is an organization of radical, Maoist separatists who make the region dangerous--rapes, kidnappings, riots, and terrorist methods of murder of all sorts. It's probably not the best part of India to vacation in (although other parts are).
The ULFA reportedly receives weapons from Pakistan.
China funded most of the separatist movements in the North Eastern states from the 1960s in view of destabilising India's eastern flank.The Indian governments of the day didn't help things either,by pretty much keeping most of the region under army control & the North-east was essentially not a part of the mainstream.But since the last 10-15 years,much progress has been made in most of the states,including Assam-transparent & free elections were held,various (but not all) army & police powers lifted & many previously separatist groups laid down their arms & became part of the political mainstream & the results are for all to see.Mizoram has a literacy rate of over 90%,far higher than what it was in 1980 & has a rather high standard of living-the same goes for states like Nagaland & Sikhim(which China recognised as a part of India just this year) .Despite this problems exist particulary in Tripura,Manipur & Assam.
The United Liberation Front of Assam is actually based in neighbouring countries & the previous govt pressured Bhutan to smash ULFA's camps on their territory.As of now,ULFA is primarily based in Bangladesh -with it's main leaders & arms smuggling network well established & the Bangladesh government,especially under Khaleda Zia (who is regarded as anti-Indian) is known to turn a blind eye to it,though India is putting much pressure on it.The Paki ISI was a prime conduit for arms smuggling to the ULFA,but that relationship soured over the past 4-5years as many radical Muslim organisations have sprung up in Assam & are very heavily in conversions,something a socialist oriented organisation like ULFA is not exactly fond of.
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