ULFA asks for forgiveness from bomb blast victims' families

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today publicly sought forgiveness for the killing of ten children and three women in a bomb blast in Assam's Dhemaji district on August 15, 2004.Rajkhowa, who is on parole, at a public meeting in Dhemaji town, where 'foreign secretary' Sasa Choudhury, 'political advisor' Bhimkanta Buragohain and 'cultural secretary' Pranati Deka, were present asked for forgiveness from the families of the victims and the people.They also paid obeisance at the memorial to the slain children erected at the site of the bomb blast on Independence Day.

Rajkhowa along with the others, leading a 30-member ULFA delegation, later visited the homes of the 13 families.They also visited the families of victims of the 'secret killing' in Dhemaji district.During the last AGP rule, families of the ULFA leaders and cadres were killed by unidentified gunmen which were termed as 'secret killings' by the media. The CID had submitted to the court of Dhemaji chief judicial magistrate on March 25 chargesheet against then ULFAarea commander Rasid Bharali and pro-talk ULFA leaders Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta implicating them in the killing.