The Hindu : Front Page : Assam pays homage to October 2008 blast victims

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Assam pays homage to October 2008 blast victims

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Blast anniversary: Women light earthen lamps in Guwahati on Friday in memory of the victims of the October 30, 2008 bomb blasts in Assam.

Guwahati: A suspected militant of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was killed in an encounter at Bamunimaidam market place in the city on Friday, even as the State remembered with a heavy heart all those killed by the serial blasts triggered by the outfit on October 30, 2008.

A Programmed Time Delay Device (PTD), a 9mm pistol with few rounds of ammunition, and some quantity of explosives were recovered from the possession of the slain militant, which led the police to suspect the militant outfit had planned another attack in the city to make its presence felt on the same day when it triggered nine synchronised blasts in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta Road one year ago. The blasts claimed 90 lives and left about 800 injured.

Special prayer meet and other functions were organised at the blast sites by different organisations to pay homage to those killed.

Hundreds of people joined the family members of the victims and the injured to listen to some of them recounting the horror scenes of the serial blasts and the trauma of losing their near and dear ones that still haunts them. Many of the victims’ families said that they were yet to receive the compensation promised both by the Central and the State governments.

Lawyers at the Chief Judicial Magistrate court here observed a protest day against the terror attack by wearing black badges.

They also paid homage in memory of three of their colleagues and other victims who were killed in the blast in CJM court premise on that day.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also paid homage to those killed at a memorial function organised by the State government at Ganeshguri blast site in the evening.

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