 "A poster advertising a tribute for Hardeep Singh Nijjar")
Sending a clear message after the Canadian Parliament observed a minute of silence on Tuesday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver announced a memorial service to pay tribute to the 329 victims of the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 Kanishka carried out by Canadian Khalistani terrorists.
"India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat," the Consulate General posted on X, adding, "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."
"A memorial service is scheduled at 1830 hrs on June 23, 2024, at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park's Ceperley Playground area. The Consulate General of India in Vancouver encourages members of the Indian diaspora to join the event in a show of solidarity against terrorism," the Consulate General added.
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
More From This Section
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. (3/3) @HCI_Ottawa pic.twitter.com/oQrr7ggomA
— India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) June 18, 2024
What prompted India's response to Canada?
The Indian Consulate General's post came after the Canadian Parliament observed a moment of silence in memory of Nijjar.
A video posted by news agency IANS on X shows members of the Canadian Parliament observing silence in the House of Commons. Speaker Greg Fergus starts the memorial by saying, "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."
Canada's Parliament marked the one-year anniversary of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by holding a moment of silence in the House of Commons on Tuesday
— IANS (@ians_india) June 19, 2024
(Video Source - Canadian Parliament Official Website) pic.twitter.com/SGkovpiWXc
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen, was shot dead as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
Nijjar had been designated as a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020 and his name had also appeared on a list of 40 other 'designated terrorists' released by the Indian government.
Ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September that there had been a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing, which is being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
India has dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated". The presence of Khalistani separatist groups in Canada has long been a concern for India.
While Canada has arrested four Indian nationals in connection with the Nijjar case, India has maintained that there has been no official or diplomatic communication from Canada regarding his killing or the arrests.
What was the 1985 Kanishka flight bombing?
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka), travelling from Canada to India via London, was blown up in the air when a bomb planted by Canadian Khalistani terrorists went off, killing all 329 people on board.
The Kanishka bombing is among the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism. The passengers killed in the incident included 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens.
Another bomb that went off at Tokyo's Narita airport, killing two Japanese baggage handlers, was also linked to the attack on Flight 182. This separate bomb was intended to blow up another Air India flight to Bangkok. However, it exploded prematurely.
Canada's RCMP arrested Babbar Khalsa leader Talwinder Singh Parmar in relation to the bombing. While India unsuccessfully tried to get Parmar extradited from Canada in the early 1980s, the case against him collapsed and he was released. In 1992, Parmar was killed by police in India.
According to the BBC, investigators involved in the case believe that Parmar was the Kanishka bombing mastermind.
In 2000, police also arrested Vancouver businessman Ripudaman Singh Malik and British Columbia mill worker Ajaib Singh Bagri in relation to the case.
However, after a trial lasting almost two years, both men were acquitted of all charges in 2005.
According to a BBC report from that time, the 2005 verdict was greeted with shock, with relatives of the Kanishka bombing victims sobbing in the courtroom.
What are latest developments in India-Canada ties?
The Canadian Parliament observing silence for Nijjar comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, met in Italy during the G7 Summit.
At the time, the Canadian Prime Minister said there was an "alignment" on several "big issues" with India, adding that he saw an "opportunity" to engage with the new government.
For his part, Prime Minister Modi posted an image on social media of him shaking hands with Trudeau with a one-liner: "met Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit".
