On the 39th anniversary of the Air India Flight 182 bombing, known as the Kanishka bombing, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described it as one of the worst acts of terrorism in history. His remarks come at a time of significant strain in relations between India and Canada, fueled by concerns over the growing activities of Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil. The 1985 bombing, which claimed the lives of 329 people, mostly Canadians of Indian descent, was attributed to Sikh militants seeking retaliation for Operation Bluestar, an Indian Army operation conducted in 1984 to clear militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Jaishankar, in a message on X (formerly Twitter), paid tribute to the victims of the Kanishka bombing, stating that the anniversary serves as a stark reminder of the need for unwavering intolerance towards terrorism. The Kanishka flight, en route from Montreal to New Delhi, exploded 45 minutes before its scheduled landing at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985.
The timing of Jaishankar’s statement coincides with India’s strong objections to the Canadian Parliament observing a minute of silence in memory of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot in British Columbia last year. Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India, was killed outside a gurdwara in June 2022. This unprecedented action by the Canadian Parliament has further exacerbated tensions between the two nations.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in his own tribute to the victims, characterized the Kanishka bombing as one of the most reprehensible acts of terror ever committed against India. He emphasized that such extremist actions have no place in a civilized world and criticized the persistent forces and sympathizers who continue to endorse violence, defying international norms and commitments to combat terrorism. India has consistently urged Canadian authorities to take decisive action against those advocating violence.
The relationship between India and Canada has been severely strained since last September when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly alleged potential involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing. India has vehemently rejected Trudeau’s accusations as absurd. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has acknowledged the Kanishka bombing as the deadliest terror-related incident in Canadian history, offering their deepest condolences and support to the victims’ families.
