Dublin [Ireland], June 23 (ANI): Marking the 40th anniversary of the Air India Flight 182 bombing, Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Bob Rae, made a powerful call for accountability and reflection, urging Canadians to confront the fact that the deadliest act of terrorism in Canadian history was plotted and executed on Canadian soil.
Speaking from Cork, Ireland—near where the aircraft’s wreckage was recovered—Rae said:
“Canadians need to be aware and know that what happened happened because people living in our country planned and plotted the placing of a bomb and the explosion of that bomb.”
He emphasized that the Air India tragedy must be recognized as a Canadian act of terror:
“As a Canadian, I feel so strongly that this act of terror must be etched deeply into the texture of the history of our country… It was not something that happened elsewhere; it was not something that was planned in another place; it was planned in our midst.”
The bombing, carried out by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, killed all 329 people aboard the flight, including 268 Canadian citizens, when a bomb exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985.
Rae also acknowledged the enduring compassion of the Irish people:
“The generosity and the welcome that the people of Ireland have shown us over the last 40 years have been extraordinary,” he said, referring to the nation’s continued solidarity with victims’ families.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a message posted on X, described the bombing as “one of the worst acts of terrorism,” and emphasized the need for global zero tolerance against extremism:
“On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost… A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.”
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, along with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, laid wreaths at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork. They were joined by a large Indian delegation comprising BJP leaders and community members, as well as India’s Ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra.
The emotional memorial saw music tributes by local schoolchildren, a wreath-laying ceremony led by Cork Mayor Councillor Joe Carroll, and remarks by dignitaries.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin reflected on the tragedy:
“329 innocent people lost their lives over the skies of Ireland that morning, and the passing of time does not dim the scale of loss and this atrocity.”
He added that despite the global scale of the attack, the tragedy remains deeply personal:
“Especially moving are these simple descriptions: student, child, so many young lives taken far too soon. While the scale of this horrific act is of global significance, we should never forget that it is an intensely personal tragedy.”
The Kanishka bombing remains a painful symbol of how violent extremism can transcend borders—and the anniversary serves as a solemn reminder of the need for international cooperation against terrorism in all forms. (ANI)
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