The Hindu : National : Students take to the streets

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

National

National

Students take to the streets

By Our Special Correspondent

— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

School students hold placards at a rally in Guwahati on Tuesday.

GUWAHATI, AUG. 17. School children in Assam took to the streets throughout the State today to join the widespread protest by intellectuals, artists, senior citizens, students' organisations and political parties against the killing of 16 school children, in a bomb attack by the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Dhemaji district on Independence Day.

Hundreds of students assembled this morning in the four main public grounds of the city displaying banners with slogans condemning the dastardly attack by the ULFA inscribed on them.

The State units of the Students' Federation of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) took out separate protest rallies through the main thoroughfares condemning the bomb attack and protesting the Government's failure to protect the lives of the State's people.

Assam bandh today

The protests came amid the ULFA owning responsibility for the blast and the All-Assam Students' Union calling for a 12-hour Assam bandh tomorrow to protest the killing. The AASU has demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi.

In a separate statement, the State unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) called for a 12-hour Assam bandh tomorrow in protest against the bomb attack, and to protest the State Government's failure to protect the lives and property of the general public.

It also called for building up a strong public opinion against "insurgent violence."

Government attacked

The Asom Gana Parishad president, Brindaban Goswami, and other senior AGP leaders who met the bereaved family members said that Tarun Gogoi Government had lost the "moral right" to continue in office for its failure to protect the lives and property of the people despite intelligence agencies forewarning about a possible militants' attack.

Gogoi visits Dhemaji

Earlier, in the day, Mr. Gogoi and the Governor, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Ajai Singh, visited Dhemaji today and met the families of the deceased children to express their condolences. Mr. Gogoi also visited Dibrugarh to enquire about the condition of the injured at the Dibrugarh Medical College Hospital.

Late in the evening, Mr. Gogoi announced that the Government had decided to set up libraries in the respective schools in memory of the students killed.

The Government was also considering the institution of a bravery award for those killed in the blast as they had defied the boycott call given by the ULFA.

Besides, August 16 would be observed every year as a day of mourning in the State in memory of the deceased children.

The Government today also enhanced the ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed in the blast from Rs. 3 lakhs to Rs. 5 lakhs and to the injured from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh.