Guwahati:
Seven-year-old Durlav Sethia is the latest victim in the cycle of violence in Assam. He died when armed separatist outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland's (NDFB) anti-talk faction blew up the Garib Rath Express on Wednesday.
Durlav was travelling in the train with his parents to Kolkata on a vacation.
Eleven others were injured in the attack. Hours before this attack, the Bodo militant group, NDFB, had triggered two more explosive devices near Dhekiajuli in the North Bank.
The government was aware of the possibility of a serial attack and therefore instructed the Railways to take necessary precautions. But while the Railways suspended the night running of train on the North bank they simply ignored the main passenger route.
"If the Railways had information then they should have cancelled the train and ran it in the morning," said Durlav's uncle Sudhir Sethia.
The Railways use a security mechanism of sending a pilot engine ahead of a train when it is passing through disturbed areas, and particularly when there is a possibility of a terrorist attack. (
Read:Bomb found on railway tracks in Assam)
Surprising that they refused to use this mechanism on Wednesday evening when they were told about a possible serial attack by NDFB militants.
"Precaution was taken. Before this accident seven trains passed on the same track. It's very unfortunate that it happened," said S S Hajong, CPRO, Northern Frontier Railways.
NDFB was on ceasefire with the government of India till a faction under its founder Chairman Ranjan Daimary broke away after the 2008 serial attack across Assam. Despite sustained operations against NDFB and Daimary's recent arrest, the outfit has been actively engaged in killing and abductions.