The Charge d'affaires of Canada, Jennifer Daubeny, and the Irish Ambassador to India, Kevin Kelly, on Monday joined families of the victims of the Air India Flight 182 disaster at a commemoration ceremony at Canada House in New Delhi, to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing by Khalistani terrorists.

Senior officials from the Government of India and members of the diplomatic community attended the ceremony which comes close on the heels of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Canada visit for the G7 summit at the invitation of new prime minister Mark Carney after years of diplomatic fued between the two countries during the tenure of Justin Trudeau over the Khalistan issue. 

Speaking on the occasion, Daubeny said: “Today is the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada—a day that marks the anniversary of the bombing of Flight 182 and the lives lost. As we mark its 40th anniversary, we join with the families of the victims in paying homage to each one of the precious lives lost in this tragedy."

"This anniversary is a reminder that we need to work together to defeat the forces of terrorism and support the peace and safety of our citizens," she said.

Ambassador Kelly said: “40 years on from the tragedy of Flight 182, we remember with sorrow the 329 innocent lives lost to an evil act of terror. It is with some solace we recall the manner in which the people of Ahakista in County Cork came out to support the families of those who died. Today, here in India, in Ireland and Canada, we stand in solidarity with their families."

"May their memory live on and be a reminder of the fact that innocent civilians need to be safe from terror wherever they are in the world," he said.

Guests signed a remembrance book on the occasion and planted a tree in memory of the victims.

A minute’s silence was also held to remember those who died on Flight 182 and those who lost their lives in the very recent tragic air crash in Ahmedabad.

Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal-London-Delhi route. On June 23, 1985, the Boeing 747 was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of 9,400 metres and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.

A total of 329 people were killed in the Air India bombing, including 268 Canadians. Two more people were killed in a separate, but related, bombing at the Narita Airport in Japan.

Relatives of the victims travelled to Ireland in the days following the bombing. The Irish Naval Service led a recovery operation to retrieve the remains of the victims and wreckage of the flight.

Many of the relatives stayed with the villagers of Ahakista, County Cork, during this time. A permanent memorial was erected by the village in 1986, and a commemoration is held there each year on the morning of June 23.

Worst Aviation Terrorism

The bombing of Air India Flight 182 is considered the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history and was the world's deadliest act of aviation terrorism until the September 11 attacks in 2001.

The masterminds behind the bombing are believed to be Inderjit Singh Reyat, a dual British-Canadian national, who pleaded guilty in 2003, and Talwinder Singh Parmar, separatist leader, who was one of the key individuals associated with the extremist group Babbar Khalsa, a Khalistani separatist group.

Modi Meets Canadian PM

Indian PM Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney met for the first time on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis this month and agreed to take calibrated and constructive steps to restore stability in the relationship, beginning with the early return of High Commissioners to each other’s capitals.

The bond between the two nations had touched a low point during the tenure of former PM Justin Trudeau following the killing  Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an incident that Canada blamed on India. Trudeau had admitted that his government had not provided hard evidentiary proof when it accused India of being involved in the killing of Nijjar. India accused the previous Trudeau government of casting aspersions on New Delhi for domestic vote bank politics. 

"This was the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since Prime Minister Carney assumed office following Canada’s recent general elections," the Indian government said in a statement during the G7.

"The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to hold frank and forward-looking discussions on the state of India-Canada relations and the way ahead," the statement said.