Latest news with #AirIndia182
National Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Story of Air India bombing should be 'embedded' in Canada's history, say Bob Rae
AHAKISTA, Ireland — Since the day that Air India Flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland 40 years ago, it has not been fully recognized as a Canadian tragedy, Ambassador Bob Rae said in an interview here. Article content Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, was tasked with reviewing the Air India terrorism case 20 years ago after two suspects were acquitted of all charges in twin bombings on June 23, 1985. Article content Article content Article content Less than an hour before a B.C.-made suitcase bomb detonated on Flight 182, killing all 329 aboard, two Japanese baggage handlers died when a Vancouver suitcase tagged for another Air India plane exploded at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Article content Article content 'That was one of the main things that I said in my report that I feel very strongly is that from the very beginning of the event, it was seen as somebody else's problem,' Rae said Sunday, after visiting the memorial in this quiet village on the west coast of Ireland. Article content 'It really was seen as sort of an event affecting the Indian community, ignoring the fact that the vast majority of the people on the flight were Canadians.' Rae said that 'there had been a real failure to recognize the level of extremism' that led to the unprecedented act of terrorism. Article content 'It was Canadians who built the bomb, Canadians who planned it,' he said. 'There was a huge degree of denial in the community that this was true. Many other theories were floated.' Article content Article content His report in November 2005 called for a public inquiry into the intelligence failures and investigative problems both before and after bombings. After Conservative Stephen Harper was elected prime minister months later, he appointed retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice John Major to head a broader judicial inquiry instead. Article content Article content While both measures increased recognition of Canada's worst mass murder, 'the narrative of what took place is still not embedded in the country,' Rae said. Article content 'We still have a lot of work to do make sure it's taught in schools and people understand this was the worst civil aviation disaster, proportionately every bit as important as 9/11.' Article content Working on his report, 'had a big impact on me. It really affected me emotionally, because families had a tremendous sense people weren't listening, they didn't understand the story, and didn't realize what it was,' Rae said.
National Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Opinion: Canada has put up with Khalistani terrorists for long enough
By Ujjal Dosanjh and Joe Adam George Monday, June 23, marks the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 — the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, and the most lethal act of aviation terrorism in the world prior to 9/11. The bombing left 329 people dead, including 268 Canadians. The investigation into the attack is still ' active and ongoing,' and is considered 'one of the most complex domestic terrorism investigations' undertaken by the RCMP. Article content Despite two separate inquiries finding that Khalistani terrorists in Canada had masterminded the attack, the perpetrators managed to walk away largely unscathed, much to the despair of the victims' families and the frustration of India. To this day, they are venerated as heroes by their fellow extremist ideologues. Article content Article content The Khalistanis form part of a Sikh extremist separatist movement that aims to establish an independent state of Khalistan carved out of India. Although it continues to rally a small but outspoken minority of Sikhs, the movement holds virtually no appeal among Sikhs in India or the majority of Canada's Sikh community. Article content The U.K. government-commissioned Bloom Review, which was released in 2023, revealed that Khalistani activists had exploited government ignorance, threatened and intimidated Sikhs, indoctrinated and recruited young people and solicited funds from Sikh temples to advance their agenda. Article content The review warned the British government that, 'The subversive, aggressive and sectarian actions of some pro-Khalistan activists and the subsequent negative effect on wider Sikh communities should not be tolerated.' Article content Yet Canada's political class choose to disregard those warnings. Politicians of all stripes continue to commit the cardinal sin of ignoring India's concerns and legitimizing Khalistanis by conflating them with the broader Sikh community. They repeatedly indulge them, hoping to boost their electoral fortunes, given the substantial sway the Sikh vote holds in many ridings throughout the country. Article content Article content For decades, Canadian Khalistanis have been an enduring national security and diplomatic liability to New Delhi, which accuses them of engaging in organized crime and acts of terrorism, both in India and abroad, under the guise of a religious political movement. Article content During a public hearing of the foreign interference inquiry last year, CSIS members testified that Khalistani elements in Canada — with covert backing from Pakistan's spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — were attempting to undermine Indian interests in the country, confirming a longstanding allegation by New Delhi.
