Blast in Goalpara, Assam leaves an army man dead and six injured; Home Minister P. Chidambaram faces ire of riot affected people while visiting relief camps; Fresh incidents of killing in Chirang; Formal NSCN-Centre dialogue to happen soon; All Bodo Minor
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    • According to reports, an army man was killed and six others were injured when suspected militants triggered a powerful bomb blast in Goalpara district of Assam on July 31, 2012. Police officials suspect it to be an IED blast triggered by a remote control device. The incident took place in Bamunghopa near the Panchratna area of Goalpara district. The attack took place at a time when union Home Minister P Chidambaram visited some relief camps in Dhubri district close to Goalpara on the same day, in the morning. 1

    Meanwhile, reports noted that P Chidambaram, then Union Home Minister, visited relief camps on July 30, 2012. During the visit, he had to face the ire of the people, who expressed their resentment against the local administration and the failure of the State Government to tackle the situation. Meanwhile, taking stock of the situation, the Union Home Minister held several rounds of discussions with high level officials. Chidambaram appealed to all sections of the people in the affected areas to extend their cooperation in resolving the crisis. During his visit to Kokrajhar, the Home Minister was accompanied by DoNER Minister Pawan Singh Ghatowar, BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary and others. He met some relief camp inmates at Titaguri HS School and Bhotgaon HS School and at Basugaon College in Chirang. 2
    However, according to reports, tension gripped Chirang district again on August 5, 2012 following a 31C National Highway blockade by an angry mob at Bortola under Dhaligaon PS in the morning hours demanding rescue of two auto drivers who went missing from August 4, 2012 morning after taking passengers to Karigaon in Kokrajhar distict. The mob attacked a bus injured the driver Apraj Narzary and eight passengers. The bus was going towards Udalguri from Kokrajhar. Security forces reached the spot immediately and dispersed the mob opening blank fire. Later the bodies of the missing auto drivers were found at Karigaon near Champa river in Kokrajhar district. Sensing a likely backlash the district administration imposed curfew for indefinite period in Chirang district. 3
    In another development, reports noted that a series of informal talks is going on between the Government of India and the NSCN, led by Isak Chsi Swu and Thuigaleng Muivah, in New Delhi. However, formal talks are expected to begin only after a week or so. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, the All Bodoland Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) denied allegations that a newly-formed group was involved in the recent clashes in parts of lower Assam, saying there was no evidence about it. ABMSU general secretary Mujib Ali Ahmed said that the charges made by one ex-Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) member that a newly-formed United Muslim National Army was involved in the clashes are totally false. There is no evidence of existence of any such outfit, he added. 5

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