The already lacking warmth between Canada and India’s diplomatic establishments dipped further down after the Canadian parliament observed a minute of silence in the memory of Khalistan supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar on the occasion of the first anniversary of his killing. Canada has accused India of having sponsored the killing of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, on Canadian soil.
India has registered it’s vehement opposition to such a big accusation, calling it “absurd and motivated.” India has indicated that the Trudo government is playing in the hands of an anti-India separatist lobby advocating for the Sikh nation of Khalistan to secure votes in their domestic politics.
In what is viewed as the direct retaliation of the act of the Canadian parliament, insensitive towards Indian sentiments, India has decided to organise a memorial service in memory of 329 victims, including 86 children, killed in the 1985 Air India Kanishka flight bombing by pro-khalistani terrorists.
The Indian Consulate General in Vancouver invited the Indian Diaspora to attend the event on June 23. The consulate posted on X “India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat.”
Air India’s ‘Kanishka’ Flight No. 182, which blew up mid-air 45 minutes before landing in London, was one of the first and one of the most cruel acts of terrorism of such magnitude. It was a handiwork of the Khalistani movement in retaliation for “Operation Bluestar,” a military operation directed by the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, to evacuate terrorists holed up in the Golden Temple at Amritsar, Punjab, the most revered shrine for the Sikh. 67-year-old Indira Gandhi was eventually killed in a cowardly attack by her Sikh bodyguards in October 1984.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met each other on the backdrop of the G7 Summit, which was held from June 13–15 in Puglia, Italy.
