Bomb blasts bring biz to standstill

GUWAHATI, INDIA: Serial bomb blasts ripped through Assam killing over 70 people and leaving hundreds injured. The IT retail community has been hit hard with sales dipping at a record low.

As Guwahati continues to be the centre of IT retail in the entire Northeast region, the blasts have not only adversely affected the state of Assam, but have put a halt on other states also, mainly Tripura and Nagaland.

“Already sales were at an all time low this festive season due to the global slowdown, and now the problem has become acute. With security concerns becoming a major issue, progress in IT retail has been halted and other sectors in retail are also suffering,” commented Swarup Sinha, Joint Director, Advantage Computers, Guwahati.

The blasts took place in major areas in Ganeshguri and Pan Bazar around 11am killing 32 people instantly. With the death toll rising, Guwahati was soon engulfed under curfew with people protesting against government inaction and failure of security forces in the state.

“There has been a failure on part of the security agencies to curb insurgency in the state. This is the biggest blast ever in the entire Northeast region. Not only has the state been affected but purchase orders from adjoining states, which comprises a major share of our revenue, has also been cancelled,” said Aditya Jalan, CEO, Complete Solution, Guwahati.

While Assam tried to return to normal life with corporate offices and schools remaining open, the state was caught between civic tensions, with anti-government riots breaking up in Guwahati.

“There has been no relief even after the blasts. We expected the curfew to be called off today, but again Guwahati will be under curfew from 6:30pm today because of the protests with the police opening fire on protestors,” Jalan added.

As major shipment and purchase order cancellations have become the order of the day in the Northeast with major companies backing off from the Seven Sisters, the blasts have worsened the situation. However, the channel community in Assam is expecting the aggravated situation to normalise in two weeks time.

“The situation in Assam and Nagaland is grave. I wonder how long we will be able to continue our business here when this region is under such threat. Sales have gone down drastically and now it’ll worsen,” said Ranjan Das, Joint Director, Elite Computers and Communication, Guwahati.