New Delhi/Ottawa: Surrounded by family members and friends of the victims, Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar paid homage to the victims of the Kanishka terror bombing on the 39th anniversary in Ottawa.
In a post on X, the Indian High Commission showed pictures of wreaths being laid at the Air India Flight 182 Monument at Commissioner’s Park, Dow’s lake, Ottawa.
“Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner 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 organizations must work in concert to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt their financing, and counter their twisted ideologies.”
“Family members and friends of the victims, officials of Government of Canada including the Assistant RCMP Commissioner, the Ambassador of Ireland and more than 150 members of the Indo-Canadian community attended the solemn occasion.
“India shares the sorrow and pain of the victims’ near and dear ones. India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat.”
In the Kanishka bombing of 23 June 1985, Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182, from Montreal to New Delhi, exploded 45 minutes before its scheduled landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, resulting in the deaths of all 329 people on board, the majority of whom were Canadians of Indian descent.
The explosion, which occurred at 31,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, was orchestrated by Sikh separatists seeking revenge for the Indian army’s 1984 assault on the Golden Temple in Punjab.
