Indian delegation pay tribute to Kanishka victims on 40th anniversary

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin and others on Monday paid homage to the victims of the Kanishka bombing at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork, Ireland. On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182 was blown up by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa near Cork, Ireland, resulting in the deaths of all 329 passengers on board. Addressing the gathering, Puri called on the international community to unite against terrorism. Puri said the tragedy was not an accident but a deliberate, heinous act carried out by fringe elements seeking to divide India.The Minister stressed that terrorism and extremism are not issues of the past but present-day threats that continue to endanger innocent lives across the world. Puri added, India has suffered the scourge of terrorism for decades, from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab to Mumbai.Calling upon the Government of Canada to join India in countering this shared threat, Puri said, Canada is a valued partner and friend. He urged for deeper collaboration between the two nations through intelligence sharing, counter-radicalisation efforts, and the disruption of terror financing. Puri along with his eight-member Indian delegation, paid homage to the victims of the Kanishka bombing at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork, Ireland.. The ceremony was attended by Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree and families of victims, all coming together in solemn remembrance.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also paid homage to those who lost their lives in the attack, terming it one of the worst acts of terrorism. On this day in 1985, Air India Flight 182, en route from Montreal, Canada, to London, and then to New Delhi, exploded mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ireland, as a result of a cowardly act of terror carried out by Canada-based Khalistani terrorists. In this attack, 329 innocent passengers were killed, including Canadian and other foreign nationals, as well as many Indian nationals, including children. Dr. Jaishankar described this attack as a stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance toward terrorism and violent extremism.