Canadian PM to apologise to Air India Kanishka victims : International

By Gurmukh Singh

Toronto, June 23 - Twenty five years after 329 people, mostly Indo-Canadians, died when Air India flight was blown up in midair near the Irish coast, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will apologize to families of the victims here for the 'evil' act 'perpetrated by cowards'.

Joining the victim's families for a memorial service at the Air India memorial at Humber Bay Park here, Harper will say: 'We are sorry...This was evil. Perpetrated by cowards. Despicable. Senseless. And vicious.'

Excerpts from his apology carried by the media quoted Harper as saying: 'We know only that terrorism is an enemy with a thousand faces, and a hatred that festers in the darkest spots of the human mind.'

'Some wounds are too deep to be healed even by the remedy of time. We are sorry.'

All 329 passengers of Air India flight 182 from Montreal to Delhi were killed when the plane was was blown up June 23, 1985 by pro-Khalistan elements to avenge the 1984 Indian Army action at the Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar city to flush out militants.

Harper's apology comes just days after an inquiry blamed the Canadian government for the tragedy and sought ex-gratia for the families.

Headed by former Canadian chief justice John Major, the inquiry slammed successive Canadian governments that they never 'ever made any apology to the families of the victims'.

Harper will make amends for then Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, who has been criticised for not treating the bombing as a Canadian tragedy when he sent condolences to the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Harper had met the victim's families after the report last week to promise them an apology and compensation.

A memorial service will also be held at the Air India Memorial in Stanley Park in Vancouver.

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has flown to Cork in Ireland to pay respects to the victims at the Air India Memorial Garden.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may also visit the Air India Memorial here during his visit for the G-20 summit later this week, though there is no confirmation of this as yet.

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