Assam resolute as the dust settles after attacks

Guwahati & London: Assam woke up on Friday with a steely resolve to fight back terror with people anguished, but not shattered, over the serial bombings that killed 71 people and wounded 300 more on Thursday.

"We need to fight terror hand in hand with the security forces and go about doing our normal work or else terrorists would get the upper hand," said Jiban Kakoti, an elderly citizen, as he glanced through one of the blast sites in Assam's main city of Guwahati while on his ritualistic morning walk.

It was a black Thursday for Assam with the state rocked by a wave of bombings - 12 blasts in quick succession - six in Guwahati, and the remaining six in the three western districts of Barpeta, Kokrajhar, and Bongaigaon.

"We are not going to be cowed down by terrorists. Not at all," said Nirmal Gogoi, a young college student, with a determined look on his face as he made a quick survey of another blast site here.

Charred vegetables, twisted car metal and a carpet of shattered glass lay scattered in Ganesguri area in downtown Guwahati Friday morning.

Attending survivors

"Oh God, this is unbelievable, heartbreaking," cried a young businessman in the area who was consoled by some of his friends to pluck courage to fight back terror.

"I feel like I am lost. Everything is gone," said the businessman who lost two of his friends in Thursday's terror run in the city.

Medics, firefighters, police and soldiers worked throughout the night attending to scores of survivors.

"We are doing our best to help the injured although the condition of many of the victims is critical," said a doctor at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

Elsewhere in the state where terrorists struck with a vengeance, people pledged to fight terror by coming out to start the day.

"Life has to go on and we cannot simply stay inside," said Bishiram Bodo, a community elder in Kokrajhar.

Blackened grocery items showed the fierceness of the fire the blast ignited, and a few bicycles and cars still smoldered yesteday as people surveyed the area and spat venom at the dastardly act of terror.

"The government should catch hold of the culprits and hang them," said a visibly angry Nupur Sharma, a retired police official, in Barpeta district.

While there was anger in the eyes of the people, police investigators were trying to piece together evidence from the blast sites.

"We cannot comment on anything now," said a National Security Guards (NSG) detective in Guwahati. A seven-member elite NSG team arrived on Thursday evening to help in the investigations.

"We are determined to fight back and ensure security to the people of Assam," said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil was due to arrive in Guwahati later yesterday to take stock of the situation.

UK sympathy

Meanwhile, British Premier Gordon Brown has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his shock at the bomb blasts in Assam on Thursday.

"I was deeply shocked and saddened to hear the reports today of the terrorist attacks in Assam, which have left so many dead and injured. There can be no justification for such violence against innocent people," Brown said.

"My thoughts are with the families and friends of all those involved, and also with you and the Indian government," he added.

Foreign Minister David Miliband condemned the blasts. "I condemn unreservedly all such acts of terrorism. My thoughts are with the victims of today's attacks, and with their families. The UK and India will continue to work closely together to counter the shared threat from terrorism," Miliband added.

The death toll on Friday rose to 77 with more than 300 others wounded.