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India Today
7 days ago
- General
- India Today
Build memorial for Kanishka victims, gurdwara, Hindu group urge Canada govt
Two Indian-Canadian groups, including a renowned gurdwara in Vancouver, urged the Canadian government to set up a memorial and an information centre in remembrance of the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing. The demand came weeks ahead of the 40th anniversary of the tragedy, on June 23. They said the families of the Kanishka victims "deserve more than silence".Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS) and North American Hindu Association (NAHA) wrote a letter to David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, and sought a memorial wall, a reflection garden, a public learning centre, and educational programmes for remembrance of the lives lost in the terror bombing, also known as the Kanishka tragedy, was the largest mass killing in Canadian history, in which over 300 people, mostly Canadians, were killed in a midair blast. While KDS manages the historic Ross Street Gurdwara, NAHA is a grassroots advocacy group representing the Hindu community of North America.'FAMILIES VICTIMS OF KANISHKA TRAGEDY DESERVE MORE THAN SILENCE'In the letter addressed to Eby, the KDS said the family members of the victims "deserve more than silence" and "deserve a place of honour, reflection and remembrance"."United by grief, memory, and an unwavering commitment to justice and education, we respectfully urge your government to honour the voices of thousands who have signed our petition by establishing the Kanishka Memorial and Learning Centre in British Columbia by June 23, 2025," the KDS NAHA also urged the government for the Khalsa Diwan Society also said that even after nearly four decades, there is no dedicated memorial or learning centre to honour the victims' memory or teach future generations about this defining moment in our history."We envision the Kanishka Memorial and Learning Centre as not merely a site of memory, but a living testament to the resilience of our communities and a powerful statement of our collective values," the Gurdwara group India flight 182 was en route from Montreal to Mumbai when it was attacked by Khalistani separatists on June 23, 1985. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 329 people, including 268 Canadians and 24 Watch
Time of India
03-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
'40 years is long enough': Indian-Canadian groups urge Kanishka memorial to honour 1985 Air India bombing victims
Representative Image Two Indian-Canadian organizations have asked the Canadian government to establish a memorial and information center to honor the victims of the 1985 Air India bombing, known as the Kanishka tragedy. Khalsa Diwan Society, and North American Hindus Association wrote a letter to David Eby, primere of British Columbia and demanded a memorial wall, reflection garden, public learning centre, educational programs and spaces for rememberance and dialogues. In a statement, the organisation urged the government to honour the voices of many British Columbians by committing to the establishment of a Kanishka Memorial and Learning Centre in British Columbia. "We envision the Kanishka Memorial and Learning Centre as not merely a site of memory, but a living testament to the resilience of our communities and a powerful statement of our collective values. It would include: A memorial wall and reflection garden, honouring each of the 331 lives lost, providing solace and healing to affected families. A public learning centre, featuring exhibits, archives, and educational materials to illuminate the realities of the tragedy and the dangers of extremism. Educational programs, designed to inform students and the broader public, fostering empathy, vigilance, and social responsibility. Spaces for remembrance and dialogue, facilitating healing, unity, and deeper understanding among British Columbians," the statement read. In the statement, the organisation said that the families of victims, who have carried unimaginable grief and loss for forty years, deserve more than silence. "They deserve a place of honour, reflection, and remembrance-a lasting acknowledgment of their pain, resilience, and dignity. Our children and future generations deserve to understand the full truth of this tragedy: its causes, its consequences, and its profound lessons about extremism, justice, and compassion," it added. What happened in 1985? On June 23, 1985, Air India's aircraft en route from Canada to India with a stopover in London, detonated near the Irish coastline, resulting in the death of all 329 passengers and crew. The explosion occurred due to an explosive device concealed in checked luggage, despite the passenger who checked in the baggage never boarding the aircraft. The casualties comprised 268 Canadian nationals, predominantly of Indian descent, and 24 Indian citizens. Search operations could recover only 131 bodies from the ocean. According to Canadian authorities' investigation, Sikh separatists orchestrated the bombing as retaliation against the Indian military's lethal operation at the Golden Temple in Punjab state in 1984.
Hindustan Times
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Canada: Historic gurdwara calls for new Kanishka memorial in British Columbia
Toronto: A historic gurdwara in Vancouver had joined in calling upon the government of the province of British Columbia (BC) to establish a permanent memorial and learning to remember the victims of the terrorist attack on Air India flight 182, the Kanishka. In a letter sent to the province's Premier David Eby, the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS), which manages the historic Ross Street Gurdwara, said the family members of the victims 'deserve more than silence' and 'deserve a place of honor, reflection and remembrance'. KDS was formed in 1906 and remains a landmark in the history of Sikhs and Indo-Canadians in the country. 'We respectfully ask you to act now – to build the Kanishka Memorial and Learning Center – as a heartfelt and lasting tribute to those we lost, ensuring their stories and memories live on in the hearts and minds of Canadians forever,' KDS' general secretary Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal stated in the letter to Eby. KDS joined a coalition of Indo-Canadian organisations that have called upon the BC government to establish the centre. While a memorial to the victims of the bombing of the Kanishka by pro-Khalistan terrorists on June 23, 1985, was established in 2007 at Stanley Park in Vancouver, the Indo-Canadian groups want a learning centre 'to teach future generations about the real cost of extremism'. In a letter to Eby, sent earlier, five Indo-Canadian grassroots groups said the centre was envisioned as 'not merely a site of memory but a living testament to the resilience of our communities and a powerful statement of our collective values'. 'Premier Eby, building this centre is not only a moral imperative – it is a profound act of reconciliation and compassion. It represents our shared commitment to justice, our determination to confront hate, and our duty to nurture a safer, more cohesive society for future generations,' the letter noted. Among the principal proponents of the centre is Vancouver-based Sanjeev Kaul, who said the centre could serve as a year-long venue for commemorative events while offering a safe space to family members of victim for reflection. The first memorial dedicated to the tragedy was established in Ahakista in Ireland in 1986. The bomb planted by the pro-Khalistsan separatists exploded while the Kanishka was flying close to Ireland and debris washed up on and near its shores. Memorials also exist in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in recognition of what remains the worst incident of terrorism in Canadian history,and the worst instance of aviation-related terrorism till 9/11. A total of 331 persons died in the bombs targeting the Air India flights, with 329 of them aboard the Kanishka. Two Japanese baggage handlers who were killed when a second bomb placed within luggage on another Air India plane exploded at Narita airport. The victims included 268 Canadian citizens and 82 children. A website seeking the centre has also been established ahead of the 40th anniversary of the terror attack. It states, 'This was not a plane crash. It was a preventable act of terrorism, rooted in extremism and worsened by failures in Canada's intelligence, security, and justice systems.'
Hans India
24-04-2025
- Hans India
Canadian Police release images of KDS gurdwara vandalism suspects
Vancouver: Canadian Police have released images of a vehicle and two people who were outside the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS) Gurdwara on Ross Street in Vancouver when it was vandalised last week. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) sought public assistance to identify the individuals as they investigated the matter. On April 19, the prominent KDS gurdwara in Canada was vandalised with pro-Khalistan graffiti, sparking outrage among the local Sikh community. "We believe these people may have information about this crime and what the motivation was. We ask anyone who recognises the people in these pictures, or the vehicle, to come forward and speak with our investigators," said VPD Sergeant Steve Addison. According to the police department, investigators from the major crime section of the department who have been collecting and analysing evidence from the crime scene and the surrounding neighbourhood, have obtained images of a white pickup and two people who were in the area at the time. "Police believe the truck drove through the area around the time of the offence, between approximately 4 and 4:30 a.m. on April 19. Two people, who are believed to be associated with the truck, then walked near the front entrance of the temple. One person was wearing a yellow cap, yellow jacket, and black pants. The other was wearing a grey hoodie with black pants," read the VPD statement. The police department further stated that it initiated a criminal investigation on April 19 after suspects spray-painted on the walls outside of the gurdwara, adding that the graffiti was written in both English and Punjabi. Last week, in a statement, the KDS condemned the act, describing it as a deliberate attempt to spread fear and division within the community. "A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like 'Khalistan Zindabad'," the gurdwara said. "This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instil fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community. Their actions undermine the values of inclusivity, respect, and mutual support that are foundational to both Sikhism and Canadian society," it added. Following the recent vandalism of a Gurudwara in Vancouver, British Columbia, another disturbing incident surfaced where the Khlistanis targeted the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Surrey. Canadian MP Chandra Arya strongly condemned the incident, stating, "The attacks on Hindu temples that began several years ago continue unabated today -- this latest graffiti on the Hindu temple is yet another chilling reminder of the growing influence of Khalistani extremism." Arya warned of a larger, coordinated effort behind such acts: "Well-organised, well-funded, and backed by significant political clout. Khalistani elements are brazenly asserting their dominance and successfully silencing Hindu voices across Canada."
NDTV
22-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Indian-Origin MP's Message To Hindus, Sikhs In Canada After Temple Vendalism
Ottawa: A temple was defaced by vandals in Canada's Surrey with pro-Khalistan graffiti, marking another incident targeting religious institutions in the North American nation. The incident took place on April 19 at the Shree Lakshmi Narayana Mandir in Surrey, after a Gurdwara in Vancouver, British Columbia, was desecrated with similar slogans. Indian-origin Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya took to social media to condemned the incident, calling it "yet another chilling reminder of the growing influence of Khalistani extremism." "The attacks on Hindu temples that began several years ago continue unabated today, this latest graffiti on the Hindu temple is yet another chilling reminder of the growing influence of Khalistani extremism. Well-organized, well-funded, and backed by significant political clout, Khalistani elements are brazenly asserting their dominance and successfully silencing Hindu voices across Canada," Arya wrote on social media platform X. He noted that Khalistani extremists have also targeted Khalsa Diwan Society (Ross Street Gurdwara) in Vancouver with pro-Khalistan graffiti. In a statement issued after the desecration, KDS said, "This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instill fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community." Arya called for unity among the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada to "rise with urgency and demand immediate, decisive action from authorities at all levels of government." "Silence is no longer an option," he said. Incidents of religious vandalism have been on the rise in Canada. In 2023, PM Modi had condemned the defacement of a temple in Brampton and asked the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law. Hindu Temple Vandalised "It is with deep sorrow that we inform the community of a disturbing incident that took place in the early hours of April 19, 2025, at approximately 3:00 AM. Two unidentified individuals vandalised the Shree Lakshmi Narayana Mandir in Surrey by defacing the entrance sign and the temple pillars with the word 'Khalistan', the temple authorities said in a statement. Images shared online by the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce showed the temple walls sprayed with pro-Khalistan slogans. The security camera was also stolen by vandals during this act. "We strongly condemn this hateful act of vandalism and theft, which is not only a crime but a direct attack on a sacred space that serves as a spiritual and cultural centre for many families, including elderly members and children," it said. "An FIR has been officially registered with the Surrey Police, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation," the statement added. "We urge members of the public and leaders at all levels of government to join us in condemning this hate crime. Attacks on places of worship have no place in a respectful and diverse society of Canada," it said.
