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{{Short description|Terrorist attack}}{{Infobox civilian attack
| title      = 2004 Dhemaji school bombing
| image      = DhemajiStatue.JPG
| alt        = 
| caption    = 
| target= [[Dhemaji College]] (District Parade ground)
|location=[[Dhemaji]], [[Assam]], [[India]]
| coordinates = 
| date       = 15 August 2004
| time       = 09:30
| timezone   = 04:00 GMT
| type       = [[School bombing]]
| fatalities = 18
| injuries   = 40
| victim     = 
| perps      = [[ULFA]]
| perp       = 
| susperps   = 
| susperp    = 
| weapons    = 
| numparts   =
| numpart    =
| dfens      =
| dfen       =
| Footage    =
}}

The '''2004 Dhemaji school bombing''' occurred on 15 August 2004, on the occasion of Independence Day in Dhemaji, Assam. The bombing by the Assamese militant group called the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) killed 18 people and injured many others. Most of the victims were schoolchildren aged between 12 and 14 and their mothers.<ref name="ab">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3566460.stm|title=Bombs kills many at Indian parade|date=15 August 2004|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=14 March 2010}}</ref><ref name="cd">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/16/stories/2004081604820100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040818052924/http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/16/stories/2004081604820100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 18, 2004|title=16 killed, 40 injured in Assam blast|last=Talukdar|first=Sushanta|date=Aug 16, 2004|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=14 March 2010}}</ref><ref name="ef">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/aug/15assam.htm|title=17 killed in Assam blast, Dhemaji SP suspended|date=August 15, 2004 |publisher=Rediff News|accessdate=14 March 2010}}</ref><ref name="gh">{{cite journal|last=Rahman|first=Isfaqur|date=August 22, 2004|title=Killing of School Kids in Assam|journal=People's Democracy|volume=XXVIII|issue=34|url=http://cpim.org/pd/2004/0822/08222004_assam.htm|accessdate=14 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724151804/http://cpim.org/pd/2004/0822/08222004_assam.htm|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="ij">{{cite web|url=http://www.citybengaluru.com/ulfa-apologises-for-2004-i-day-parade-ground-bombing/|title=ULFA apologises for 2004 I-Day parade ground bombing|date=Dec 13, 2009|publisher=City Bengaluru|accessdate=14 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708155832/http://www.citybengaluru.com/ulfa-apologises-for-2004-i-day-parade-ground-bombing/|archive-date=8 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Details==
On the occasion of Independence Day, 15 August 2004, people, mostly were school children and their mothers, gathered at [[Dhemaji College]] ground for an Independence Day parade. At around 09:30 a bomb went off killing at least 18 and injuring many more.<ref name="ab" /><ref name="cd" /><ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" /> According to police, the bomb was planted near the college-gate<ref name="gh" /> and triggered by a remote-controlled device.<ref name="cd" /> It was exploded when the students and teachers of various schools were passing through the gate.<ref name="gh" />

==Investigations==
Police blamed [[ULFA]], a banned Assamese militant group, which had called for a boycott of the event. The group continued denying responsibility.<ref name="ab" /><ref name="cd" /><ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" /><ref name="ij" />

==Aftermath==
Soon after the incident the local people allegedly attacked the police vehicles at the site for failure to protect the parade. Police had to launch a [[Baton charge|lathi charge]] and fire tear gas to bring the situation under control.<ref name="ab" /><ref name="ef" /> The Superintendent of Police T. Thangou  and the Additional Superintendent of Police Abu Sufian of Dhemaji were suspended for negligence of duty. The Deputy Commissioner was transferred for security lapse.<ref name="cd" /><ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" />

==Reactions==
The injured were admitted to the Dhemaji Civil Hospital and other 10 being critically injured were shifted to Dibrugarh Civil Hospital.<ref name="cd" /><ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" /> Chief Minister of Assam [[Tarun Gogoi]] condemned the blast stating it to be “most barbaric, inhuman and pathetic” incident.<ref name="cd" /><ref name="ef" /> He also announced that the state would be observing the 16 August of every year as Mourning Day in memory of those killed. The chief minister announced Rs 300,000 for the victims and Rs 50,000 for the seriously injured.<ref name="cd" /> The Dhemaji and Lakhimpur unit of [[All Assam Students Union|AASU]] called a 12-hour [[bandh]] on 16 August 2004 in protest of the blast.<ref name="cd" /><ref name="gh" /> The [[All Assam Students Union|AASU]] had also demanded the resignation of the chief minister. The Assam State Committee of CPI(M) vehemently condemned the incident. It also organized a protest rally in the capital city of Guwahati on 17 August against the extremists for the killings and against the administration for the failure of protection. The committee had also called a 12-hour Assam-bandh on 18 August.<ref name="gh" />

==Armed Forces Special Powers Act==
The chief minister [[Tarun Gogoi]] said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act should stay in the disturbed areas to avoid the increasing activities by the rebel groups.<ref name="cd" />

==ULFA takes responsibility after five years==
On 16 August 2004, one day after the blast, in a statement, [[Arabinda Rajkhowa]], the chairman of the group, stated that the “Indian Occupation Force” and its agents used the schoolchildren as shield to defy the boycott call of the outfit.<ref name="gh" /> On 13 December 2009, [[Paresh Barua]], the C-in-C of the group, sought public apology and forgiveness for the blast. He stated in an e-mail that the ULFA leadership was misled by some of their cadres and junior leaders about the blast, which is why the leadership had to deny its involvement.<ref name="ij" />

==See also==
*[[2008 Assam bombings]]
*[[2009 Assam bombings]]
*[[2009 Guwahati bombings]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Assam}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhemaji bombing}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Explosions in 2004, Mass murder in 2004, Terrorist incidents in India in 2004, August 2004 events in Asia, August 2004 crimes, 2000s in Assam, 21st-century mass murder in India, School bombings, Terrorism in Assam, Dhemaji
|description=
}}

[[Category:Explosions in 2004]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 2004]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in India in 2004]]
[[Category:August 2004 events in Asia]]
[[Category:August 2004 crimes]]
[[Category:2000s in Assam]]
[[Category:21st-century mass murder in India]]
[[Category:School bombings]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Assam]]
[[Category:Dhemaji]]