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Assam rebels set off
blasts in Guwahati 

What is India News Service, Thursday, 27 January 2005, 2000 hrs IST

For the first time in the last 15 years, Republic Day passed off peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir, and even as militants triggered two blasts inside the Guwahati parade ground, celebrations continued without any break.

Inspector-General of Police (Special Branch) Khagen Sharma said two powerful explosions rocked Judges' Field ground in Guwahati, even as Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh was inspecting the parade.

The explosions were carried out through a Programmable Time Delay (PTD) device, with which one could plant a bomb at least 194 days in advance. The time devices were planted in a corner of the ground and in a nearby drain, he said.

The first bomb exploded just as the cavalcade of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi entered the field at 8.47 am. The next one went off in the north-east corner of the ground, near the Gauhati High Court, as the Governor was about to begin his speech at 9 am. Police inspector Nitul Hazarika and two others were injured in the second blast, which occured just 150 m from the podium.

A third blast was reported from Bongaigaon in Lower Assam, minutes before the national flag was hoisted. There were no casualties, sources said.

Governor Singh continued with his speech even after the blasts, claiming that ``the law and order situation has improved and insurgents have in desperation resorted to sporadic attacks on soft targets''. The blasts left craters about 2 ft wide and 3 ft deep.


ULFA pulls off bandh: Even as the ULFA seemed to get away with calling a 'bandh' on Republic Day and pulling off four blasts in Assam injuring at least nine people, two other people were killed and at least another eight were seriously injured when a group of Army persons fired at a group of civilians at Hajo in Lower Assam. 

Army says killings were in self-defence: In New Delhi, the Army said its soldiers resorted to firing in self-defence by killing two when a group of villagers armed with country-made weapons fired on the Army, an Army official said on Wednesday.

Threat to security in charge of security?: Beginning from May 1 this year, all new vehicles will be registered on a specially designed security number plate. Once the process gets rolling, the Regional Transport Authorities would have two years to get the vehicles registered with them with the security number plates.

Stop mining or we will have it stopped, SC warns Chautala: The Supreme Court today lashed out at the Chautala government for failing to stop illegal mining in Gurgaon district and Aravali Hill ranges of Haryana and issued contempt notices to two top officials of the state for not complying with its order banning such activities in the region by mining mafia.

Aruna murder accused arrested in Gujarat, another commits suicide: The prime accused in the murder of former Tamil Nadu minister Aladi Aruna, Veldurai was nabbed from a house in Ahmedabad early on Wednesday morning.

Immolation attempt: Police today averted a self-immolation bid by a 20-year-old man from Gujarat at Red Fort during the Republic Day parade in the capital. 

Another taint? German tourist says `army man' harassed her on train: A German tourist has written to the Army saying she was harassed allegedly by an `armyman' on a train to Kerala in November last year.

Cause of chopper crash unclear: Thirty-one U.S. Marines were killed on Wednesday in a helicopter crash, marking the worst loss of life in a single day since the American invasion of Iraq in March 2003. 
A public school version of R-Day!: The British were not true to their word. Even though they granted formal Independence to India on August 15, 1947, they shilly-shallied over the withdrawal process, which brought Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army into the scene and finally forced Lord Curzon to jump into the sea at Gateway of India on January 26 the following year. Hence India has two "very auspicious days of national importance": First Independence Day and second, the Republic Day. The author of this story is Abhiroop, a Class VIII student of an east Kolkata public school with ritzy, lush green exteriors.