The Indian mission in Canada on Sunday marked the 39th anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, in which 329 persons, including 86 children, on board an Air India flight lost their lives. In a post on X, the Indian mission said that any “act of glorifying terrorism is deplorable and should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people.”
The Kanishka bombing is considered one of the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation. Terming the frequent acts glorifying terrorism in Canada as "deplorable," India has said it is "unfortunate" that such actions are allowed to be "routine" on many occasions here when they should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people.
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, including 86 children.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the consulates of India in Toronto and Vancouver organised memorial services on Sunday and solemnly remembered the victims of the "dastardly act of terror" in 1985.
"While thirty-nine 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 Al-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 further stated.
In a statement on the 39th anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, in which 329 persons, most of them Canadians of Indian descent, on board an Air India flight lost their lives, the Indian High Commission said that terrorism knows "no borders, nationality, or race."
High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma paid respect to the victims of Air India flight 182 Kanishka on the 39th anniversary of the "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.”
Family members and friends of the victims, Canadian government officials, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner, Ireland envoy and more than 150 members of the Indo-Canadian community attended the solemn occasion, the High Commission said.
"India shares the sorrow and pain of the victims' near & dear ones. India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat," it said.
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, as reported by news agency PTI.
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, as quoted by PTI.