Kanishka Bombing Anniversary: Families of Victims Turn Pro-Khalistani Groups Away from Prayer Meeting in Canada

Many of those asked to leave were wearing T-shirts with designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s photo. (Reuters/File)

Families of the 1985 Kanishka bombing victims on Sunday turned away members of the pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice outfit during a prayer meeting in Canada to mark the 39th anniversary of one of the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation.

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 had exploded 45 minutes before it was supposed to land at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent. Eighty-six of the victims were children. The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to ‘Operation Bluestar’ to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984.

During Sunday’s prayer meeting, those present asked Sikh for Justice and other pro-Khalistani group members to leave, categorically stating that no Sikh wanted separate nation of Khalistan. The families of the victims also expressed disappointment that no representative of the Canadian government was present to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.

They also condemned the moment of silence held in Canada’s House of Commons last Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death. Many of those asked to leave were wearing T-shirts with Nijjar’s photo.

“This is open reflection of the Canadian Sikh community. They are overpowered by politicians and political will, and made to show the world that they want Khalistan. No Canadian Sikh wants Khalistan. They feel Western countries are doing this because they don’t want India to compete with them,” a source in the Indian High Commission said.

The Indian missions in Canadian capital Ottawa and Toronto city marked the anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing. High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma paid homage to the victims of “cowardly terrorist bombing”, the High Commission in Ottawa posted on X along with a series of photographs from the event.

Addressing the gathering, 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. Governments, security agencies, and international organisations must work in concert to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their financing, and counter their twisted ideologies.”

The Indian mission in Toronto also marked the day.

“Consul General Siddhartha Nath laid a wreath at the Air India 182 memorial, Humber Park, Etobicoke in solemn remembrance of the 329 victims of the terrorist bombing of AI 182 on this day, 39 years ago,” the Consulate General of India in Toronto posted on X along with a photograph.

In another post on X, the mission said the Consul General also attended the memorial service held at Queen’s Park Toronto for the victims and met with the bereaved families.

“In his remarks he highlighted the importance of unified global efforts to combat terrorism and standing firm against its glorification,” it said, sharing a series of photographs.

Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X paid his homage to the memory of the 329 victims of AI 182 ‘Kanishka’ who were killed on this day in 1985.

“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.

On Friday, the Canadian police said the investigations into the bombing of the Air India Flight 182 remain “active and ongoing”, terming it the “longest” and one of the “most complex domestic terrorism” probes.

In a statement, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (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”.

“The Air India investigation is the longest and certainly one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations that the RCMP has undertaken in our history,” Teboul said. “Our investigative efforts remain active and ongoing,” he said.