India took Canada to task on the 39th anniversary of the Air India Kanishka bombing, by charging it with glorifying terrorism, in an obvious reference to Canadian Parliament paying tributes to ‘Khalistan’ supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar on his first death anniversary.

“Any act of glorifying terrorism, including the bombing of AI-182 in 1985, is deplorable and should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people. It is unfortunate that such actions are allowed to be routine on many occasions in Canada,” the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said in a statement.

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The Kanishka bombing took place in 1985 when a flight en route on Montreal-London-Delhi, operated by Air India was exploded by a bomb mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean.

“On June 23, 1985, Flight no. AI 182 Kanishka flying on Montreal (Canada) – London (UK) – Delhi (India) route, operated by Air India, then India’s national carrier, was exploded by a bomb mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ireland, as a result of a cowardly act of terror, carried out by Canada based Khalistani terrorists,” the statement read.

A total of 329 passengers were killed in the incident, where the victims included Canadians, Indian nationals, and other foreign nationals, as well as children.

“This tragedy is the worst ever in Canadian aviation history to date and shall remain an unbearable loss for not only the families of the victims but also for humanity as a whole,” it added. However, the perpetrators and co-conspirators of this dastardly act remain free, the High Commission stated.

“While 39 years have passed since the cowardly act, terrorism has unfortunately assumed proportions of an existential threat to international peace and security today,” the statement read.

Terrorism knows no borders, nationality, or race, and is a challenge that the international community faces and needs to combat collectively, it added.

Over the years, India has led from the front to counter-terrorism, with support from like-minded countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “…Nor must we countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism, and violence. Similarly, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs cannot be exercises in cherry picking.” [UNGA, September 2023]. The spirit of this statement is the best tribute to the victims of Air India Flight 182 Kanishka.

Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma paid homage to the victims of the tragedy in Ottawa. Despite the rains, the Indian High Commission in Canada led the memorial service for the victims at the Air India Flight 182 Monument at Commissioner’s Park, Dow’s Lake, Ottawa.