Canadians know little of the 1985 Air India bombings: study

Thirty-eight years since the Air India bombing – Canada’s deadliest terrorist attack which killed hundreds of people – a study says nine in 10 Canadians have little to no knowledge of the tragedy.

The Angus Reid Institute’s study also found 58 per cent of respondents under 35 have never even heard of it.

Air India Flight 182 was headed to London from Toronto on June 23, 1985, when it exploded mid-air over the coast of Ireland after a bomb on board detonated.

It killed 329 people, 280 of whom were Canadians.

In an interview with OMNI News, B.C.’s former premier says he’s not surprised most Canadians don’t know much about the bombing.

“What needs to happen is the politicians in this country have to remember that this was the largest aviation terror case in the history of the world before 9/11. It’s the second largest mass murder in the history of the world in terms of the aviation mass murder,” said Ujjal Dosanjh.

The bombs were planted in Vancouver and a number of the suspects were based in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Dosanjh says Canadians may want to compartmentalize the crime, adding they may think victims only came from one community.

“Part of the racist problem is sometimes when you don’t know the community then you think they’re different, it’s their problem, and it’s not a Canadian problem. It’s a problem in Vancouver and Surrey and Brampton maybe – when you think like that, which is sort of a racist way of looking at it – then you don’t pay much attention. And Canadian politicians didn’t pay much attention,” said Dosanjh.

Only one suspect — Inderjit Singh Reyat — was convicted of manslaughter. He was charged with perjury when he lied during his testimony as well.

“I feel like we have a duty of care to the victims and their families to educate ourselves – as we have done on lots of files. On the legacy of residential schools. On the legacies of lots of harm and wrongdoing that’s happened to people in our history,” said Angus Reid Institute President Shachi Kurl.

A man who lost his wife in the bombing tells OMNI News he wants schools to put this tragedy in the curriculum, and politicians to show up at community memorials.

“People don’t even know why the flags are at half-mast. They should make it very clear – and participate in these events and get over the vote politics because terrorism affects all. It doesn’t matter if you’re Liberal, or Conservative, or NDP, or green, red or blue,” said Bal Gupta.

With files from OMNI News