In response to the Canadian Parliament’s recent moment of silence over the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver has announced a memorial service to honor the 329 victims of the 1985 Khalistani bombing of Air India Kanishka flight. The consulate emphasized India’s commitment to combating terrorism and collaborating with global partners to address this threat.
“India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat. 23 June 2024 marks the 39th Anniversary of the cowardly terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka), in which 329 innocent victims, including 86 children, lost their lives in one of the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation,” the Consulate General posted on X.
India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat. (1/3)
— India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) June 18, 2024
The consulate also shared details of the memorial service: “A Memorial Service is scheduled at 1830 hrs on June 23, 2024 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area. @cgivancouver encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to join the event in a show of solidarity against terrorism. @HCI_Ottawa,” it added.
The Air India Flight, enroute from Montreal to London, was destroyed mid-flight at an altitude of 31,000 feet when a bomb planted by Canadian Sikh terrorists detonated. The explosion claimed the lives of 329 passengers, including 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens, marking one of the deadliest aviation terrorism incidents.
This announcement follows the Canadian Parliament’s commemoration of Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia last year. The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has accused Indian government agents of involvement in Nijjar’s killing—a claim that India has strongly denied as baseless and politically motivated, causing a significant strain in bilateral relations.
In a world first Canada’s Parliament officially observed a moment of silence as MPs stood for Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a wanted extremist in India, who was twice on interpol list & on on no fly list – at the one year anniversary of his assassination ??
— Tanveer Malik || तनवीर मलिक || (@tinderwale) June 18, 2024
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating Nijjar’s murder, and four Indian nationals have been arrested in connection with the case.
Footage from a news agency shows Canadian Parliament members observing silence in the House of Commons. Speaker Greg Fergus initiated the memorial, stating, “Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in memory of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, assassinated in Surrey, British Columbia, one year ago today.”
This memorial took place shortly after Prime Minister Modi and Trudeau met during the G7 Summit in Italy. Trudeau remarked on the positive engagement with Modi, highlighting an “alignment” on various significant issues and potential opportunities for further cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi had also shared an image on social media of himself with Trudeau at the G7 Summit, captioned: “met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit”.
This was their first meeting since diplomatic tensions rose following Nijjar’s killing. India has consistently criticized the support given to separatist and anti-India elements within Canada.
Trudeau, speaking to CBC News post-summit, highlighted the importance of direct engagement with diverse leaders on various issues, particularly national security, democracy, and the rule of law, expressing optimism about future dialogues with India.
