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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
New paradigm in India-Canada ties
Jun 24, 2025 08:47 PM IST The commemoration of the bombing of Air India flight 182 jointly by India, Canada and Ireland for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 329 lives is an important moment in recognising the international character of terrorism, and the need for a global response to the problem. It is significant that India sent a delegation to the event in Ireland led by Union minister Hardeep Puri, who emphasised the need for deeper cooperation with Canada to counter extremism and terrorism. While India and Canada must surely focus on trade and investment to give a boost to bilateral relations there must be a substantive dialogue on security issues of concern to both sides, including the threat posed by cross-border, ideology-driven terrorism. (AP) Over the past four decades, Canada largely treated what was the worst act of aviation terrorism till the 9/11 attacks in the US as an incident to be mourned by India, though a majority of the fliers were Canadian citizens of Indian-origin. Most of those involved in the carnage got away because of a botched investigation by Canadian authorities. The recent past has made Canada reckon with the downing of Air India flight 182 as a tragic moment and a violent act against its own citizens, and thereby, its sovereignty. That is a powerful foundation that can be used by Ottawa during its ongoing reset of its relations with New Delhi, with a beginning having been made through the recent meeting of prime ministers of the two countries. While India and Canada must surely focus on trade, investment, supply chains and technology to give a boost to bilateral relations taken to a low point by the row over the killing of a Khalistani activist, there must be a substantive dialogue on security issues of concern to both sides, including the threat posed by cross-border, ideology-driven terrorism.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Over 60% Canadians want Kanishka bombing taught in schools: Survey
While Canadians remain largely unaware of the worst terror attack in the country's history, two-third believe details of the bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, by Khalistani extremists, should be taught in schools and the problem of ignorance corrected. A man lays a wreath as he pays tribute to the victims on the 40th anniversary of Air India Flight 182 Kanishka bombing, at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork on Monday. (ANI Video Grab) These were among the major findings of a new survey conducted by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI) published on the 40th anniversary of the bombing, which claimed 329 lives, including close to 280 Canadian citizens on June 23, 1985. Of those sampled, 59% said they 'only know the main details', according to an ARI release. Half, 51%, believe the bombing 'has never been treated like a Canadian tragedy', and seven-in-ten, 71%, support an exhibit about the bombing at the Canadian Museum of History. Approximately two-third, 65%, 'believe it should be consistently taught in Canadian schools', ARI said. 'Both would go a long way to increase the number of Canadians in future years who feel Canada has done enough to honour the victims. In both 2023 polling and these latest data fewer than three-in-10 said enough had been done,' ARI noted. Talwinder Singh Parmar, considered the mastermind of the attack, lived in Burnaby in British Columbia, the plot was hatched and the bomb made in that province, yet Canadian remain largely ignorant of what was the worst incident of aviation terrorism till 9/11. The ARI described the Kanishka bombing as an 'unremembered tragedy' as nearly a third of those surveyed, 32%, said they were unaware of it, 4% higher than what it was in a similar poll conducted in 2023. There is also little liking for pro-Khalistan groups taking to gathering at the memorials to the tragedy on the anniversary. 'Three-in-five (63%) say that even if they have the right to be there, the presence of Khalistan supporters at public memorial is inappropriate,' the survey found. In addition, 34% believe there is too much 'disinformation' about the bombing, including the discredited conspiracy theory of an Indian role. 'Today marks 40 years to the day that Canada endured the worst terror attack in its history, but if you ask most Canadians, there's a good chance they'd be unable to tell you that,' the ARI stated. But, they understand such lack of knowledge is wrong, as it added, 'While they may not know a lot about the tragedy, Canadians appear to see this as a problem to correct.'
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India, Ireland, Canada commemorate 1985 Air India flight Kanishka bombing
For the first time, India, Ireland and Canada are commemorating the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 by Khalistani terrorists with events in Cork and New Delhi to pay tribute to the 329 victims of what was the worst act of aviation terrorism until the 9/11 attacks in the US. Union minister Hardeep Puri at a memorial in Cork. (X) 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 have joined hands to organise an event in New Delhi for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the attack, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. 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 memorial 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. 'I call upon our Canadian friends in particular to deepen our bilateral collaboration in countering this. Canada is a valued partner and a friend of India. We share vibrant cultural and economic relations with each other, and we are bound by democratic tradition, and those ideals require us to act together against all forms of extremism and terrorism,' Puri said. 'When separatist violence and separatist voices find sanctuary, when extremist figures glorify violence and they threaten not just the people whose lives they take away [and] they threaten societies at large, by working together, sharing intelligence, shutting off funding channels, countering radicalisation, we can ensure that those who continue to promote hate and terror cannot succeed,' he said, in an apparent reference to the activities of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. Puri said India's intelligence agencies, security apparatus, and diplomatic channels are committed to partnering with Canada and other countries to tackle terrorism. 'Let us redouble our efforts to ensure that what happened on June 23, 1985, is never repeated, not here, not in India, not anywhere in the world,' he said. India and Canada launched a reset of their ties at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit on June 17, following a prolonged diplomatic row triggered by former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau's allegation in 2023 about Indian agents being linked to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India dismissed the charge as 'absurd' and the two sides subsequently downgraded diplomatic ties. Puri urged the world community to make 'collective, proactive efforts' to combat terrorism. 'Sadly, this is not merely an episode of the past; terrorism and extremism remain a very real present-day threat, one that many of our countries know very well,' he said. He highlighted the role of the local Irish community in identifying the bodies of the victims, collecting the debris of Air India flight 182, and opening their homes to relatives of the victims four decades ago. 'Out of the ruins of a tragedy, the unique friendship between the Irish and Indian peoples was deepened,' he said. The annual commemoration began with a minute of silence at 8.13am, the exact time the bomb planted by the Khalistani terrorists exploded. Ireland's prime minister has participated in events marking key anniversaries of the bombing, such as every decadal anniversary. The people cited above said the presence of the Indian and Canadian ministers was significant amid ongoing efforts to repair bilateral ties and bolster security cooperation. The event in New Delhi, which will be held behind closed doors and is being attended by senior Indian, Canadian, and Indian diplomats and officials, will begin with a minute of silence. The event will also be attended by relatives of the victims, the people said. 'The intention is to express solidarity with the victims of this terrible incident and to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts,' one of the people said. On June 23, 1985, Air India flight 182 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about 200 km off the southwest coast of Ireland, after the bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists exploded. All 329 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 747 were killed. A total of 268 passengers were Canadian nationals, most of them of Indian origin, and 27 were UK citizens. Explosives were placed in suitcases loaded onto at least two planes leaving Vancouver on June 22, 1985. One suitcase blew up while it was being transferred from a Canadian airliner to Air India flight 301 at Japan's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers. About an hour later, Air India flight 182, on its way from Montreal to London, disappeared from radar and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. It took 15 years for Canadian authorities to bring the accused to trial, but a bungled investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police failed to secure sentences for the two men who were charged with the attack.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
40 yrs of Kanishka bombing: 51% believe the incident ‘has never been treated like a Canadian tragedy', finds poll
Toronto: While Canadians remain largely unaware of the worst terror attack in the country's history, two-third believe details of the bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, by Khalistani extremists, should be taught in schools and the problem of ignorance corrected. Mourners gathered to remember the victims of the Kanishka bombing at the memorial in Toronto on Sunday, the eve of the 40th anniversary of the worst terror attack in Canadian history. (Supplied photo) These were among the major findings of a new survey conducted by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute (ARI) published on the 40th anniversary of the bombing, which claimed 329 lives, including close to 280 Canadian citizens on June 23, 1985. Of those sampled, 59% said they 'only know the main details', according to an ARI release. Half, 51%, believe the bombing 'has never been treated like a Canadian tragedy', and seven-in-ten, 71%, support an exhibit about the bombing at the Canadian Museum of History. Approximately two-third, 65%, 'believe it should be consistently taught in Canadian schools', ARI said. 'Both would go a long way to increase the number of Canadians in future years of who feel Canada has done enough to honour the victims. In both 2023 polling and these latest data fewer than three-in-10 said enough had been done,' ARI noted. Talwinder Singh Parmar, considered the mastermind of the attack, lived in Burnaby in British Columbia, the plot was hatched and the bomb made in that province, yet Canadian remain largely ignorant of what was the worst incident of aviation terrorism till 9/11. ARI described the Kanishka bombing as an 'unremembered tragedy' as nearly a third of those surveyed, 32%, said they were unaware of it, 4% higher than what it was in a similar poll conducted in 2023. There is also little liking for pro-Khalistan groups taking to gathering at the memorials to the tragedy on the anniversary. 'Three-in-five (63%) say that even if they have the right to be there, the presence of Khalistan supporters at public memorial is inappropriate,' the survey found. In addition, 34% believe there is too much 'disinformation' about the bombing, including the discredited conspiracy theory of an Indian role. 'Today marks 40 years to the day that Canada endured the worst terror attack in its history, but if you ask most Canadians, there's a good chance they'd be unable to tell you that,' the ARI stated. But, they understand such lack of knowledge is wrong, as it added, 'While they may not know a lot about the tragedy, Canadians appear to see this as a problem to correct.'
Irish Examiner
21-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Air India Flight 182: Cork photographer recalls taking iconic image of 1985 bombing tragedy
One of the most poignant photographs ever printed on the front page of this publication was that of the lines of dead bodies in the temporary morgue set up in Cork for the victims of Air India flight 182. A bomb placed on board the flight by militants exploded off the Kerry/West Cork coast on June 23, 1985, with the plane plunging into the Atlantic. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph, which also showed a group of medics gathered in the background of the image. Now retired after spending 47 years as a press photographer, the then 26-year-old snapper had been looking forward to a busy afternoon shooting sports photos in Thurles for two Munster hurling games. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading But when news broke of the horror air disaster off the west Cork coast, Denis' day took a different turn. He was not to know it as he returned from Thurles to the offices of the Cork Examiner on Academy Street in Cork city centre but his image would become synonymous with the tragedy unfolding in the sea off West Cork. Denis's image from the temporary mortuary set up in the then Cork Regional Hospital was syndicated across the world, and was featured in the New York magazine, Life, which was very influential at the time. Former Irish Examiner photographer Denis Minihane's picture of the remains of victims from the Air India Flight 182 air disaster on June 23, 1985, in a temporary morgue at Cork Regional Hospital (now Cork University Hospital). The world exclusive photograph taken through a window was published in newspapers and magazines all over the world including LIFE magazine and won a news picture of the year award the following year. Photo: Denis Minihane Looking back, the Skibbereen-born photographer said: 'It was the most significant photograph I took in my career really. Sadly it was one of a disaster. Such is life.' Denis retired last year and recalls entering the photographic trade after seeing his father Michael work as a photographer with the then Cork Examiner. After his Leaving Certificate, Denis entered the dark room in the Cork Examiner in October 1976, not knowing that one of the most iconic images of Irish press photography history would his. He recalls: 'On the morning of the 23rd of June 1985, I was marked to go to Thurles to cover two Munster hurling championship games and the 11 o'clock news came on on RTÉ Radio 1 and it said that Air India flight 182 had gone down off the Irish coast. "So we came back to Cork and parked the car and came into the office and it was rather difficult to get into the photographic department because it was packed with photographers who had arrived in Cork from different countries around the world.' He says of himself that he was just a 'young fella' at the time, aged 26. Forty years on, photographer Denis Minihane can still recall second by second the lead-up to snapping that iconic photograph. Picture: Chani Anderson He continues: 'I went out and attended the press conference (at the Regional Hospital) and there was a huge gathering of photographers and camera crews at it. I managed, through enquiries, to find out where the remains of the people taken from the wreckage were being kept and it was a temporary morgue that was set up in the gymnasium. "I got as far as the door and I obviously was not able to get any further so I went around the back of the building and I could see that there was a very high window. "But it was just down to my level so I could just about see in and didn't know if I could get a photograph or not because there was a very high thick net curtain, full length, inside the window, down on to the window sill. "So I could barely see into the room. I was by the window for quite a while and it was getting late in the evening. It must have been 10.30pm, may be 10.30/11 o'clock at night and I saw someone coming towards the window with a ladder and I move, I step back around the side of the building. I thought I had been seen but obviously I hadn't because what it was was that somebody had gone up and opened the window to let some air in to the building. Seeing his chance, Denis decided to have another attempt at seeing into the mortuary and recalls: 'That's how I had a gap of maybe two inches to get the photograph through and I managed to get a few frames.' But even then, he didn't know if his attempt was successful, in a time when photography took more patience than today. He explains: 'In those days, you had to come back to the office and process so I didn't know whether I had a photograph or not and it was a nervous seven or eight minutes developing the film – an anxious wait. Anxious also because it was also an upsetting scene that I had seen. It was a poignant scene.' He recalls seeing the images develop and night editor Liam Moher writing the caption for his now famous image, which included the words 'world exclusive picture'. He says: 'I just didn't understand the significance of it I suppose. It was over my head. I had done what I had done because it was my job and he had asked me to go and do it but I didn't realise how significant the picture was going to be in the following days and years afterwards.' He is mindful of the pain and suffering of the families and friends of those who were lost in the Air India disaster. He continues: Looking back at the photograph now, it evokes memories of that awfully sad day and my heart still goes out to the families and friends of all those people who died so tragically in that awful disaster when the bomb exploded off the Irish coast. The flight was due to stop over in London's Heathrow before travelling to India for stops in Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers were primarily from Canada, but others on board came from India and Britain, as well as other countries. More than 80 of them were children. Two men accused of murder and conspiracy relating to the crash were found not guilty in March 2005. It was alleged that the bombing was plotted by Sikh extremists in Canada as revenge on India for its storming of Sikhism's Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. Read More A selection of images chosen by the Irish Examiner picture desk
