External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar: Kanishka bombing reminds us why terrorism must be zero-tolerated

On the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Air India ‘Kanishka’ bombing, EAM S. Jaishankar called it one of the worst terror attacks in aviation history

New Delhi: Paying tributes to the victims of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said it was “one of the worst acts of terrorism” and stands as a stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was supposed to land at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent.

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“On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost in one of the worst acts of terrorism. A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism,” Jaishankar said on X.

Family members of the passengers and crew of the plane gather every year at various memorials set for the victims. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in a post on X, said he paid homage to the victims of the Kanishka bombing at Ahakista Memorial in Cork, Ireland, and also shared visuals of his address at the memorial event.

“Paying homage to victims of Air India Kanishka bombing at Ahakista Memorial in Cork, Ireland with the Irish Prime Minister HE @MichealMartinTD, Canadian Minister of Public Safety HE Gary Anandasangaree @gary_srp and members of the Indian delegation,” he said.

A day ago, he had posted on X that he was on the way from Heathrow in the UK to Cork, and leading an Indian delegation to the memorial event at the Ahakista Memorial. “On the way from Heathrow to Cork… The dastardly mid-air bombing of Air India Kanishka Flight 182 in 1985 which claimed 329 innocent lives off the Irish Coast remains one of the most inhuman acts of terror in aviation history.

“I was able to pay tribute to the victims at the Kanishka Memorial at Humber Bay Park in Toronto in September 2019 where I also met family members of several victims who had shared their pain and suffering,” he wrote.