GUWAHATI, Oct 29 � The serial blasts that tore the CJM Court campus apart on October 30, 2008 along with other parts of the State, were a corroboration of the fact that the bloodthirsty miscreants were just on a killing spree and bereft of any ideology whatsoever.
As the legal fraternity stands united in protesting the barbaric attacks on innocent lives by terrorists, the efficiency of the authorities in nabbing and punishing the culprits is still being largely questioned.
�The blast in the CJM Court campus was not just a �first-of-its-kind attack on the judiciary� in the State, it was a well-planned ploy to kill maximum number of innocent people. The terrorists targeted one of the busiest areas of the city,� Pulin Chandra Goswami, president of Lawyers� Association Guwahati (LAG) told The Assam Tribune.
�Now and then, many statements come from the Government�s side, but it is difficult to say whether the real culprits would be punished for their deeds,� he said.
�The demand to punish those who masterminded the carnage and those who executed it should be raised more strongly by all peace lovers. They must get exemplary punishment, which can act as a deterrent for others who have such terrible intentions,� most of the advocates and employees in the CJM Court campus felt this way.
However, there were many who lamented that the urgency and resolution with which such an act should have been treated is missing on the State Government�s part.
Those who witnessed the incident from close quarters are still haunted by the nightmare. Three young advocates Deepamoni Saikia, Anup Bhuyan and Bipul Nath, advocate�s clerk Abul Kalam Ahmed and security guard Mahesh Saud were confirmed dead at the site. A large number of two-wheelers and four-wheelers were also destroyed in the blast.
�The smell of burnt flesh and vehicles still haunts us everyday when we enter the court campus. With inadequate security arrangements and vulnerability from the riverside, we do not feel safe,� said Amitabh Thakuria of LAG.
�Frequent attacks in places like Ganeshguri and Fancy Bazar in the past, naturally make us worry about the security of our CJM Court and DC Court campuses, where thousands of people assemble everyday,� said advocate Jyotsna Ali, a witness, who developed breathing problem after the incident.
�We cannot be assured of our security till the whole area including the DC court is converted into a secured campus with CCTV, adequate security and high guard walls,� opined young advocate Nandan Das. �But, it is more important to adopt a well-defined strategy to uproot all forms of terrorism from the State, so that the common people feel safe on the streets, markets or any other public place,� he added.
�We would observe October 30 as a �black day� not just to condemn this one incident, but let it be a symbolic protest against all terrorist attacks on innocent people. A strong people�s movement is required to denounce terrorism,� Shantanu Kumar Sarkar of Gauhati High Court Bar Association said.
