Families of Air India bombing victims find peace and presence at Irish memorial
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Both Turlapatis have been instrumental in organizing the annual service where a moment of silence at 8:13 a.m. on June 23 marks the time the plane exploded. They have worked to create colourful gardens surrounding the memorial wall.
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A larger than usual crowd is expected Monday, June 23 to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing. Dozens of relatives have travelled from Canada. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree will be here, as will Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and representatives of the Indian government. Several RCMP officers from B.C. are also here to participate.
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The Mounties and several relatives gathered informally at the memorial Saturday as rain threatened overhead.
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Saroj Gaur hugged Padmini, who she calls 'auntie' because of the support Gaur was offered by the Turlapatis when her father Om Prakash Sharma died in the bombing.
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Gaur, who now lives in Toronto, said her dad wanted her to travel with him to India for the summer break. But she was 23, had just finished her studies and wanted to look for work. She was job-hunting in Toronto when she got the news about the flight from a family friend.
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Despite her father's contributions to Canada, she still feels that Canadians don't care.
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'We were living in Canada, paying our taxes. My father was teaching Canadian children, and it hurts when he wasn't recognized. You know that it's a Canadian tragedy,' Gaur said with tears in her eyes.
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She also finds comfort here, near to her father, whose body wasn't recovered.
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'This is my third trip. When we were driving down here, I felt something very touching. I felt like I'm coming to my own place,' she said. 'I was feeling so joyous. I felt like I belong here.'
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She is also grateful to the Irish for their support over four decades.
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'The Irish people made this beautiful monument here. It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.'
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Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists.
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It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family.
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For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message.
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Vancouver Sun
4 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Families of Air India bombing victims find peace and presence at Irish memorial
AHAKISTA, Ireland — As Padmini Turlapati sat on a bench in front of the Air India memorial on Saturday, she looked out at the sea and said she felt her sons Sanjay and Deepak were with her. 'I feel very serene and I see Sanjay in the air, blowing all over me, and Deepak flowing towards me, saying, 'Hi mom, welcome,'' Turlapati, 84, said. 'I feel like I'm connected with them, then I internalize that feeling and take it home with me for another 365 days.' Sanjay was 14 and Deepak 11 when they travelled from Toronto on Air India Flight 182 to visit relatives in India in June 1985. When the plane was brought down near Ahakista by a B.C.-made bomb — their parents' world was shattered. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Sanjay's body was among 132 recovered, while Deepak was never found. Padmini and her husband, Babu, have made the pilgrimage to the rocky coastline every June since, to connect with their children and feel the warm embrace of the Irish people who help mourn them. 'I feel them when I am here. That's all I have,' Padmini said, with a photo of the smiling boys visible behind her on the memorial wall. Babu said he and his wife 'come here to be with our son, who is still in the waters. We just feel that we are visiting him by coming here every year.' They get strength from the trip despite the tragic circumstances that led to the deep bond they now share with the Irish people. 'The local community, local officials, they all take care of us as we are coming back year after year, considering us as part of their family,' he said. 'That's where we are getting all the peace of mind and strength.' The Turlapatis also connect here with other relatives of the 329 victims who died that day. They don't talk much here about the B.C.-based Babbar Khalsa separatist group behind the bombing and a same day blast at Tokyo's Narita Airport that killed two baggage handlers. They don't focus on an unsuccessful B.C. prosecution of the two main suspects. They hug and smile and catch up. They touch their loved ones' names on the memorial wall that was built within a year of the terrorist attack. They walk on the rocky shore and seek solace in the sound of the lapping waves. 'We cannot reverse the events that have happened, but we can come to terms with them and live at peace with them and find beauty in the remaining part of our lives, in the memory of them,' Padmini said. 'The negatives have all gone away. I don't think of anything negative. I only think about me and my children and the peace that has come from that.' Both Turlapatis have been instrumental in organizing the annual service where a moment of silence at 8:13 a.m. on June 23 marks the time the plane exploded. They have worked to create colourful gardens surrounding the memorial wall. A larger than usual crowd is expected Monday, June 23 to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing. Dozens of relatives have travelled from Canada. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree will be here, as will Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and representatives of the Indian government. Several RCMP officers from B.C. are also here to participate. The Mounties and several relatives gathered informally at the memorial Saturday as rain threatened overhead. Saroj Gaur hugged Padmini, who she calls 'auntie' because of the support Gaur was offered by the Turlapatis when her father Om Prakash Sharma died in the bombing. Sharma had immigrated from India to work as a high school teacher in Newfoundland and support his large family. Gaur, who now lives in Toronto, said her dad wanted her to travel with him to India for the summer break. But she was 23, had just finished her studies and wanted to look for work. She was job-hunting in Toronto when she got the news about the flight from a family friend. Despite her father's contributions to Canada, she still feels that Canadians don't care. 'We were living in Canada, paying our taxes. My father was teaching Canadian children, and it hurts when he wasn't recognized. You know that it's a Canadian tragedy,' Gaur said with tears in her eyes. She also finds comfort here, near to her father, whose body wasn't recovered. 'This is my third trip. When we were driving down here, I felt something very touching. I felt like I'm coming to my own place,' she said. 'I was feeling so joyous. I felt like I belong here.' She is also grateful to the Irish for their support over four decades. 'The Irish people made this beautiful monument here. It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.' Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists. His mom's body was recovered, but neither was his dad's nor his little sister's. It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family. For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message. 'If I have the means, the ability and the health, I'll come here every year now because it makes me feel one with the family I lost,' he said. kbolan@
Calgary Herald
5 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Families of Air India bombing victims find peace and presence at Irish memorial
Article content Both Turlapatis have been instrumental in organizing the annual service where a moment of silence at 8:13 a.m. on June 23 marks the time the plane exploded. They have worked to create colourful gardens surrounding the memorial wall. Article content A larger than usual crowd is expected Monday, June 23 to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing. Dozens of relatives have travelled from Canada. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree will be here, as will Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin and representatives of the Indian government. Several RCMP officers from B.C. are also here to participate. Article content The Mounties and several relatives gathered informally at the memorial Saturday as rain threatened overhead. Article content Saroj Gaur hugged Padmini, who she calls 'auntie' because of the support Gaur was offered by the Turlapatis when her father Om Prakash Sharma died in the bombing. Article content Article content Gaur, who now lives in Toronto, said her dad wanted her to travel with him to India for the summer break. But she was 23, had just finished her studies and wanted to look for work. She was job-hunting in Toronto when she got the news about the flight from a family friend. Article content Despite her father's contributions to Canada, she still feels that Canadians don't care. Article content 'We were living in Canada, paying our taxes. My father was teaching Canadian children, and it hurts when he wasn't recognized. You know that it's a Canadian tragedy,' Gaur said with tears in her eyes. Article content Article content She also finds comfort here, near to her father, whose body wasn't recovered. Article content 'This is my third trip. When we were driving down here, I felt something very touching. I felt like I'm coming to my own place,' she said. 'I was feeling so joyous. I felt like I belong here.' Article content Article content She is also grateful to the Irish for their support over four decades. Article content 'The Irish people made this beautiful monument here. It doesn't matter how many times you come here, how many times you've seen it, you still want to come back. This is the place where they lost their life and you can't forget it.' Article content Sanjay Lazar, who lives in Pune, India, was just 17 when he lost his father Sampath, stepmother Sylvia and toddler sister Sandeeta to the bomb planted by B.C. terrorists. Article content It is here that Lazar feels closest to his family. Article content For many years after he was orphaned, Lazar ran away from his pain. Four years ago, that all changed here at the memorial when he felt for the first time that his family was sending him a message. Article content
Toronto Star
9 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Ottawa considering ‘combination of approaches' to 20% military pay hike
The Canadian flag is seen on a soldier's shoulder during an interview in Calgary on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward JOH flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
