Trouble in Assam

"At least 42 people have been killed in two days of attacks by suspected separatist rebels in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, police say."

Full story below. I guess anyone thinking of travelling to this area may want to do some more research....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6236475.stm

Travellers should check the SATP.org website if they plan to do any intrepid exploring in Assam. They give very detailed reports on where & with who the troubles are originating. Best to stay away from some of the eastern districts and the ULFA boys for the time being. Stay safe all!

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detail...te1=1/6/2007#1

I'm planning on being there in March/April but all this violence is certainly disquieting.I signed up for Assam Google Alerts to keep in touch and there seems to be some sort of political violence on at least a weekly if not daily basis ever since the ceasefire broke down in the fall.It never seems to make the regular news on this side of the ocean though.It's not only the danger that gives one pause about going there but the fallout from the military response:curfews,roadblocks,re stricted access and a resentful populace.Oh well i'll just have to play it by ear.

All violence is stupid, and I wouldn't understand why some people in Assam would want a separate state. Maybe I'm missing something. I've always read about not travelling to the north-eastern states, so I think after this, I'll stick to this advice.

we are travelling to guwahati and kaziranga in a few days.

we were told by a friend (indian resident) that these regions are safe. the killing seem to have occurred in northern parts of Assam, which are supposedly more remote and unpoliced.

any knowledgeable advice would be appreciated. needless to say we are still assessing this leg of the trip.

This is the latest from the BBC - "In the latest attack, hooded gunmen killed at least seven Hindi-speaking labourers at a brick kiln in the northern Sivasagar district" The first attack was in the northern districts of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia, killing 48 settlers. Not sure how this area relates to where you are going but this was reported yesterday.

Full story below.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6239711.stm

It also states that in the past 27 years at least 10,000 people have died in the violence. I was shocked at this - I have to claim ignorance to the trouble there being this bad. It is such a shame.

I wouldn't want to make any sweeping statements about it (and I've never visited), but I think in the most general of terms this isn't normally directed at tourists, although as noted you may suffer problems in terms of strikes (bandhs, which you should take note of -- if no travel is allowed by some group don't think of going travelling) and roadblocks and whatnot.

There's been some confusion about violence in the area directed at "foreigners" on some threads lately, it should be understood this mostly refers to Bangladeshi immigrants and other local strife, not at all to tourists.

I'm not at all saying "Hey just go over there," on the contrary, get yourself informed, but maybe put it into perspective. It looks like tensions there can flare up and dy out pretty easily though so keep your ears peeled maybe. I also suspect Guwahati and Kaziranga should be the most accessible of the entire region at any time, but again, don't quote me on it please.

Some decent overall background info on the wider area is up at http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisispro...?v=at_a_glance , also a little heavy on the danger side of it all but nonetheless insightful as to some of the backgrounds of these conflicts.

btw Assam news links will be pretty heavy on all of this yes, I guess that's their business. Compare it to your papers at home. That is no reason to ignore it though. Try also http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/india.htm

There's always the crossfire

oh well i'll update on how it went afterwards.

Following up on those news articles and sites, it does all sound a little heavy. Mostly directed against Hindi-speaking immigrant workers it seems, and mostly in outlying areas, but spreading across the state.

But following up on news sources from there always made it seem a little heavy, while in the meantime people seemed to just carry on travelling there. With peace talks and a truce with ULFA having recently broken down and apparently stepped-up deployment of troops it's probably wise to keep your eyes and ears open to say the least, but I suppose you had figured that one out.

Another question might be if you'll be allowed in at all if the situation is very tense. I don't know how steady or reliable the permit situation has been over the last years; seemed to be OK for a while but unsure how this is today.

Hi,
Whatever i know and believe, tourist are safe. But they should open their ears and eyes.
Wish you all ha safe and happy journey.

This is the correct explanation of what's happining.. All the incidence are in remote area, which has now a large migrant population. The attacks are just to prevent hindi speaking people settling in Assam, Its all politically motivated..

Bit of precaution is always required.. like informing about your stay and movement to the loacl autorities..

we are in guwahati now, about to leave for kaziranga. apart from soldiers on street corners and a few machine gun nests all is calm.

Ah! Business as usual eh

Do give an update if you get round to it, should be interesting to many (including yours truly). And have a safe trip!

we are in a guwahati net cafe right now. all is quiet, except the other day a bomb reportedly went off in the city market, killing a couple. we were in kaziranga national park though.

not much to report, other than the continued presence of indian troops. the govt. are taking the whole thing seriously but as we know by now, it's hard to stop these things if they are determined enough.