Farmers Movement Archive

1985 Kanishka bombing: 36 years on, Canada remembers the dead with commemorations

Family members of the victims of the Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, marked the solemn 36th anniversary of the worst terror incident in Canada’s history, with a hybrid observation that included visits to memorials across the country and on a virtual tribute space.With large gatherings not allowed in Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic, small groups of family members assembled at various locations to remember those they had lost when the Kanishka exploded midair off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985, due to a bomb planted in the plane by Khalistani terrorists.The terror attack claimed 329 lives, of whom 268 were Canadian citizens, and 24 Indians. It is also the worst episode of terror in Canadian history and is recognised as its National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. In a statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this “despicable act of terror remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canada’s history. Sadly, it was not the last time Canada had to confront the malice of terrorism.”Family members said Canada needed to remain “vigilant” about terrorism. Among them was Deepak Khandelwal, who was just 17 when he lost his elder sisters Chandra and Manju. “I would say that Canada has to learn from the past, from these types of mistakes,” he said, adding he was painfully reminded of their absence particularly as the pandemic rages as both his sisters were in the medical field and could have helped at this time. Susheel Gupta, who lost his mother Ramvati on that doomed flight, went to the Ottawa memorial. Such memorial services, he said, “advocate on behalf of victims of terrorism, and we feel a responsibility to remind people that terrorism has occurred here and could happen again”.Indian officials laid wreaths at the memorials with India’s high commissioner Ajay Bisaria doing so in Ottawa, consul generals in Toronto and Vancouver, Apoorva Srivastava and Manish in their respective cities and the Representative of India to the International Civil Aviation Organisation Shefali Juneja visiting the site in Montreal.A virtual service was also held on a YouTube channel established by the Air India 182 Victims Families Association, where tributes to the deceased were also posted.These commemorative services on Wednesday were held under the shadow of the recent revival of the Khalistan movement in Canada. Events this year came as pro-Khalistan elements in Canada have hijacked protests over three farm laws in India to buttress their movement in the country. Indian officials have flagged this growing menace to Canadian authorities. The Indian consulate in Vancouver was blockaded by protestors on January 26 and pro-Khalistan slogans and speeches resounded outside the building that day, while in February and March, rallies taken out by the Indo-Canadian community to celebrate partnership between the two nations in combating the coronavirus crisis were confronted by groups brandishing Khalistan flags.This has led to plenty of concern being voiced by India to interlocutors in Ottawa in this context and the latest episode occurred this Sunday, when a group of two dozen Indo-Canadians took out a car rally in the Greater Toronto Area to face some violence as an opposing group again came bearing the Khalistan standard. That led to the arrest of a 34-year-old man from Brampton, Inderjit Dhami, who was charged with possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, and four counts of uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm.

Hindustan Times

25-06-2021

Chandigarh