India mourns 1985 Air India bombing victims

INDIA has said that Canada's act of glorifying militancy was 'deplorable', and no country should overlook the threat of terrorism emanating from its soil for political gains.

In a statement on the 39th anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said that terrorism knows "no borders, nationality, or race".

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London's Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent.

The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to 'Operation Bluestar' to flush out militants from Amritsar's Golden Temple in 1984.

The Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the consulates of India in Toronto and Vancouver organised memorial services on Sunday (23) to remember the terror victims.

Addressing the gathering, high commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma said, “No government in the world should overlook the threat of terrorism emanating from its territories for political gains."

"Human lives are much more important than the transitory political interests. All terrorist activities should be met with exemplary legal and social actions before they start harming the larger humanity," he added.

"While 39 years have passed since the cowardly act, terrorism has unfortunately assumed proportions of an existential threat to international peace and security today," the Indian high commission's statement said.

"Any act of glorifying terrorism, including the bombing of AI-182 in 1985, is deplorable and should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people," it said. "It is unfortunate that such actions are allowed to be routine on many occasions in Canada," it added.

Asserting that terrorism knows "no borders, nationality, or race", the Indian mission said that over the years, India has led from the front to counter-terrorism with support from like-minded countries.

Family members and friends of the victims, Canadian government officials, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) assistant commissioner, Ireland envoy, and more than 150 members of the Indo-Canadian community attended the solemn occasion, the High Commission said.

In Toronto, consul general Siddhartha Nath laid a wreath at the Air India 182 memorial, Humber Park, Etobicoke and a photo was posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The Indian mission in Vancouver also held a memorial service. "The CG @Masarung paid homage to the victims of Air India flight 182 Kanishka in Vancouver," it said in a post by X.

Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar paid his homage to the memory of Kanishka victims in a post on X.

"Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the worst acts of terrorism in history," he said. "My thoughts are with their families. The anniversary is a reminder why terrorism should never be tolerated," Jaishankar wrote.

Complex investigation

The Canadian police said the investigations into the bombing of the Air India flight 182 remains "active and ongoing", terming it the "longest" and one of the "most complex domestic terrorism" probes.

In a statement, RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul called the bombing the "greatest terror-related loss of life involving and affecting Canadians" in the country's history as he offered "deepest sympathies, understanding and support to the families of the victims".

Nijjar issue

The memorial services were held at a time when relations between Canada and India are under severe strain following Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated".

Last week, India strongly objected to the Canadian parliament observing a "one-minute silence" in memory of Khalistan extremist Nijjar, who was gunned down in British Columbia in June last year.

India also insisted that the Canadian authorities must take action against those advocating violence and carrying out an anti-India campaign in Canada.

India lodged a strong protest with Canada on Thursday over Khalistani extremists holding a so-called "citizens court" and burning an effigy of the Indian prime minister outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Ottawa giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity. (PTI)