New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): Marking the 40th anniversary of the Kanishka bombing, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar paid tribute to the 329 victims who lost their lives in the 1985 Air India Flight 182 tragedy, describing it as “one of the worst acts of terrorism.” He emphasized the continued global need to uphold zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.
In a post on X, Jaishankar stated:
“On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost in one of the worst acts of terrorism. A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.”
Link to post
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, along with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, laid wreaths at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork, Ireland, to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attack.
Air India Flight 182 was destroyed by a bomb planted by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa. The explosion occurred over the Atlantic Ocean near Cork, Ireland, on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 passengers and crew members on board.
An Indian delegation led by Minister Puri was present in Ireland to mark the occasion. The delegation included BJP leaders such as Arvinder Singh Lovely (Delhi Assembly), Baldev Singh Aulakh (Uttar Pradesh), Gurveer Singh Brar (Rajasthan), Narinder Singh Raina (Jammu and Kashmir), and Trilok Singh Cheema (Uttarakhand), alongside BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh and India’s Ambassador to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra.
Local Irish officials, including the Mayor of County Cork, Councillor Joe Carroll, also participated in the memorial ceremony, joined by hundreds of attendees. School children presented a musical tribute at the seaside memorial, creating a solemn and emotional atmosphere.
Speaking at the commemoration, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin remarked on the enduring grief of the families.
“Very honoured to be here in Ahakista this morning on this 40th anniversary of that terrible day in 1985 that saw the Air India flight cruelly and horrifically brought down off our coastline. It’s always a privilege and honour to attend this sober commemoration and to witness the dignity, dedication and care with which you remember your loved ones,” he said.
Martin underscored that even decades later, the pain remains fresh.
“The passing of time does not dim the scale of this atrocity. We feel the enormity of your loss when we see the faces and read the stories on the memorial here, before us… 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,” he added.
The ceremony at Ahakista remains one of the most poignant reminders of the deadly reach of terrorism and the urgent need for global unity in fighting extremist ideologies. (ANI)
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