The separatist United Liberation Front of Asom is now using children and young students to carry bombs and explode to evade security net, the Assam police have revealed.
The police caught a ten-year-old boy at Bongaigaon after he threw a grenade in the railway station on Monday night.
A class VII student from Rangia, died the previous day at Kahilipara, when a bomb he was carrying exploded.
"This is most horrifying," said Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi talking to newsmen. "How can they bring children and students to this violent conflict?" he asked.
The ULFA has always been seen as being insensitive to children. Two years ago, they bombed to death 16 students at Dhemaji in an Independence Day programme.
"Militancy has come to such a pass that they are using ten-year-kids to throw bombs. Where is the human rights violation now?" asked Assam Governor Lt Gen Ajay Sinha.
The All Asom Students Union is also worried. "It is extremely unfortunate. Students are students. The militants cannot exploit them," he said.
The Bongagaon police, who caught the ten-year-old from the spot, said that the kid was paid Rs 100 to throw the bomb. The police said these kids and students are least suspected and in case they are arrested or get killed, the damage is next to nothing.
Tinsukia district Deputy Commissioner Absar Hazarika said on Friday that students in his district were 'bribed with money, cars, motorcycles and cell phones to plant bombs and grenades in public places'.
The Sri Lankan secessionist organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, are known to employ child soldiers, which the international community has condemned as a gross violation of human rights.
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