It was on June 23, Air India flight Kanishka took off from Montreal, Canada. The destination was Delhi via London. But midway the plane exploded in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland. 329 people lost their lives in the tragedy.
India has been claiming since the beginning that Khalistanis were behind the terrorist attacks. After four decades, Canada has finally accepted India’s claim on the Kanishka blast.
After this horrific terrorist attack on an Indian airliner, the Indian government made it clear that Khalistani were behind the attack. However, Canada has not recognized India’s claim for so many years.
Note that the government there had covered up the activities of the Khalistani. However, times have changed. On Wednesday, Canada’s intelligence agency CSIS posted a message on social media commemorating that tragic day. “On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 was shot down by Khalistani militants in Canada. 329 people were killed in the incident. Most of them were Canadian citizens. “This incident was the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history.”
But why did it take Canada so many years to discover the real truth? According to sources, Canada has almost given asylum to Khalistani despite the Indian government’s crackdown in the past few decades. Behind this was the political situation. India was active in preventing the spread of Khalistani in Canada but this country did nothing.
Amidst all this, the investigation of the case was stalled by a conflict between Canada’s intelligence agency CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP). Many signs have been destroyed. Later, in 2010, Prime Minister Stephen Harper admitted that there was institutional indifference to the families of the victims. But despite all this, Canada’s pull towards Khalistan has not decreased.
Last year, the Indian government also clashed with the Justin Trudeau government over the Khalistan issue. Trudeau almost severed diplomatic ties after blaming India for his own killing by Khalistani militants. But Justin Trudeau remained oblivious to the spate of Khalistani attacks inside the country.
Incidentally, the situation in Canada changed radically after the change of government. After Mark Carney took office as prime minister, the intelligence agency CSIS identified Canadian Khalistani organizations as a threat to its country for the first time.
CSIS has acknowledged that Canadian-based Khalistanis are actively using Canadian institutions to advance their interests. Canada later admitted that Khalistanis were involved in the terrorist attack on the 40-year-old Kanishk Biman.