After Four Decades, Canada Admits Khalistani Terrorists Carried Out Air India Flight 182 Attack

Ottawa: After four decades, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has officially and publicly acknowledged for the first time that Khalistani terrorists were involved in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985 that killed 329 people, most of whom were Canadians of Indian origin. However, only 131 bodies were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean.

What did CSIS say?

For the first time, Canada's primary intelligence agency has officially and publicly acknowledged that Khalistani terrorists based in Canada were behind the 1985 bombing of Air India's 'Emperor Kanishka' (Flight 182).

This admission by Canada is being seen as a major diplomatic and strategic victory for India, because till now Ottawa had avoided naming Khalistan for this terrorist attack.

What is there in the post?

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, marking the anniversary of the tragedy, CSIS directly blamed the separatist movement for the attack. The agency wrote, "On June 23, 1985, a bomb planted by Canada-based Khalistani extremists destroyed the aircraft, killing everyone on board, most of them Canadians. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canada's history and a defining moment for our national security community."

What is the case?

On June 23, 1985, an Air India Boeing 747 aircraft flying from Toronto to Mumbai crashed over the Atlantic Ocean after an explosion, killing 329 people. This was the world's largest aviation terrorist attack before the 9/11 attacks. It was carried out by terrorists from the banned Khalistani organization Babbar Khalsa.

Why did it take Canada 41 years to admit?

This major revelation raises questions about why it took Canada four decades to acknowledge this truth. According to a 2010 investigation report, there was a significant lack of coordination between Canada's intelligence agency, CSIS, and the police. CSIS destroyed hundreds of hours of wiretap recordings of Babbar Khalsa leader Talwinder Singh Parmar, which were crucial evidence in the case.

Of the 329 people who died, 268 were Canadian citizens, yet the Canadian politicians and public of the time dismissed the case as an "Indian problem." During the decades-long trials, key witnesses were targeted and witnesses were intimidated, leading to the acquittal of the main accused in 2005 due to lack of evidence.

Why is it a big win for India?

The Khalistan movement, which emerged in Punjab in the 1970s and 1980s, has long since ended in India, but many of its figures have taken refuge in Western countries like Canada, Britain, and the United States and continue to pursue an agenda against India. In Canada, they have consistently received political and social protection under the guise of freedom of expression.

India-Canada relations reached their lowest ebb during the tenure of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, especially when Trudeau accused Indian intelligence agency RAW of killing Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.