'85 AI blast: India joins Ireland & Canada in remembering victims

The commemoration began with a minute of silence at 8.13 am, the exact time the bomb planted by pro-Khalistan terrorists exploded

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI: For the first time, India, Ireland and Canada commemorated the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 by pro-Khalistan terrorists with events in Cork and New Delhi on Monday to pay tribute to the 329 victims of what was the worst act of aviation terrorism until the 9/11 attacks in the US.

While the anniversary of the worst aviation disaster in Irish and Canadian history has been marked by an annual event organised by the Cork County Council in Ireland, the three countries joined hands for an event in New Delhi for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the attack. Besides Canadian and Irish diplomats, senior officials of the external affairs ministry attended the event.

In Cork, an Indian delegation led by Union minister Hardeep Puri joined Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, Canada's public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree and the ambassadors of India and Canada for a solemn ceremony at a monument overlooking the ocean to pay tribute to the victims of the bombing of Air India flight 182, also known as Kanishka.

Addressing the event, Puri emphasised the importance of concerted action by the world community against terrorism and called for enhanced security collaboration with Canada to tackle extremism and radicalism.

The destruction of the aircraft, which was carrying more than 80 children and citizens of India, Canada and the UK, in an act of terrorism is a "stain on humanity", he said.