In a first, India, Ireland, Canada commemorate 1985 Air India flight Kanishka bombing
The anniversary of the worst aviation disaster in Irish and Canadian history has been marked by an annual event organised by the Cork County Council in Ireland
For the first time, India, Ireland and Canada commemorated the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 by Khalistani terrorists with events in Cork and New Delhi on Monday to pay tribute to the 329 victims of what was the worst act of aviation terrorism until the 9/11 attacks in the US.
While the anniversary of the worst aviation disaster in Irish and Canadian history has been marked by an annual event organised by the Cork County Council in Ireland, the three countries joined hands for an event in New Delhi for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the attack. Besides Canadian and Irish diplomats, senior officials of the external affairs ministry attended the event.
In Cork, an Indian delegation led by Union minister Hardeep Puri joined Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, Canada’s public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree and the ambassadors of India and Canada for a solemn ceremony at a monument overlooking the ocean to pay tribute to the victims of the bombing of Air India flight 182, also known as Kanishka.
Addressing the event, Puri emphasised the importance of concerted action by the world community against terrorism and called for enhanced security collaboration with Canada to tackle extremism and radicalism. The destruction of the aircraft, which was carrying more than 80 children and citizens of India, Canada and the UK, in an act of terrorism is a “stain on humanity”, he said.
“I call upon our Canadian friends in particular to deepen our bilateral collaboration in countering this. Canada is a valued partner and a friend of India. We share vibrant cultural and economic relations…and we are bound by democratic tradition and those ideals require us to act together against all forms of extremism and terrorism,” Puri said.
“When separatist violence and separatist voices find sanctuary, when extremist figures glorify violence and they threaten not just the people whose lives they take away [and] they threaten societies at large, by working together, sharing intelligence, shutting off funding channels, countering radicalisation, we can ensure that those who continue to promote hate and terror cannot succeed,” he said, in an apparent reference to activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada.
Puri said India’s intelligence agencies, security apparatus and diplomatic channels are committed to partner with Canada and other countries to fight terrorism. “Let us redouble our efforts to ensure that what happened on June 23, 1985, is never repeated, not here, not in India, not anywhere in the world,” he said.
India and Canada launched a reset of their ties at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit on June 17, following a prolonged diplomatic row triggered by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation in 2023 about Indian agents being linked to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India dismissed the charge as “absurd” and the two sides subsequently downgraded diplomatic ties.
Puri urged the world community to make “collective, proactive efforts” to combat terror. “Sadly this is not merely an episode of the past, terrorism and extremism remain a very real present day threat, one that many of our countries know very well,” he said.
He also highlighted the role of the local Irish community in identifying bodies of the victims, collecting the debris of Air India flight 182 and opening their homes to relatives of the victims four decades ago. “Out of the ruins of a tragedy, the unique friendship between the Irish and Indian peoples was deepened,” he said.
Irish Taoiseach Martin said, “Today, we gather in solidarity with the families of those who were aboard Air India flight 182. While we are brought together in sadness on this occasion, we also recognise the deep bonds of friendship that have grown between our communities and nations.”
The annual commemoration began with a minute of silence at 8.13 am, the exact time the bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists exploded. Relatives of the victims laid wreaths at the monument, which bears names of all those who died. Ireland’s prime minister has participated in events marking key anniversaries of the bombing, such as every decadal anniversary. The presence of the Indian and Canadian ministers was significant in view of ongoing efforts to repair bilateral ties and bolster security cooperation, people familiar with the matter said.
The event in New Delhi, held behind closed doors at Canada House and attended by senior Indian, Canadian and Indian diplomats and officials, observed a minute of silence for the victims. The event was attended by relatives of the victims.
Canada’s charge d’affaires Jennifer Daubeny noted that the day is observed in her country as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. “This anniversary is a reminder that we need to work together to defeat the forces of terrorism and support the peace and safety of our citizens,” she said.
Irish ambassador Kevin Kelly recalled how the residents of Ahakista in County Cork supported the families of those who died 40 years ago and said: “Today, here in India, in Ireland and Canada, we stand in solidarity with their families. May their memory…be a reminder of the fact that innocent lives need to be safe from terror wherever they are in the world.”
Guests signed a remembrance book and a tree was planted in memory of the victims. A minute’s silence was also observed to remember those who died in the recent crash in Ahmedabad.
On June 23, 1985, Air India flight 182 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about 200 km off the southwest coast of Ireland, after the bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists exploded. All 329 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 747 were killed. A total of 268 passengers were Canadian nationals, most of them of Indian origin, and 27 were UK citizens.
Explosives were placed in suitcases loaded onto at least two planes leaving Vancouver on June 22, 1985. One suitcase blew up while it was being transferred from a Canadian airliner to Air India flight 301 at Japan’s Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers.
About an hour later, Air India flight 182, on its way from Montreal to London, disappeared from radar and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. It took 15 years for Canadian authorities to bring the accused to trial, but a bungled investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) failed to secure sentences for the two men who were charged for the attack.
