Monday marks 40 years since the worst terrorist attack in Canada's history, the bombing of Air India Flight 182, but a surprising new poll reveals that many Canadians are unaware of the tragic event. The flight, which boarded in eastern Canada on June 22, 1985, was destined for Delhi and Mumbai via London.
Early the following morning, approximately 200 kilometers off the Irish coast, a bomb detonated, causing the Boeing 747 to plunge 31,000 feet into the ocean, resulting in the deaths of all 329 passengers and crew on board. A significant majority of those who perished were Canadian citizens.
The Angus Reid Institute poll published on Monday highlights that one-third of Canadians have never heard of the Air India bombing. When asked to identify the worst case of mass murder in Canadian history, only 17 percent correctly identified the bombing.
Shachi Kurl, President of the Angus Reid Institute, emphasizes that the knowledge gap is not due to a lack of memory. Instead, many Canadians did not learn about the attack during their education. "They didn’t learn about it in public school... While there have been 'Heritage Minutes' about various topics, there has never been one dedicated to the Air India bombings. There is no permanent exhibit or educational resource focused on this tragedy," said Kurl.
Kurl noted that there is a strong desire among Canadians for more educational resources regarding the attack. "If one is looking for signs of hope, 71 percent of Canadians support having an exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History that would educate about this event, and two-thirds believe it should be consistently taught in Canadian schools," she remarked.
Many families of the victims feel that the attack has never been appropriately acknowledged as a Canadian tragedy. Notably, then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney reached out to Indian officials to express condolences, despite the fact that most victims were Canadian.
The bombing had a profound impact, shattering generations of families. Among those affected was Krishna Bhat, who lost his nine-year-old son, Deepak, and his wife, Muktha. Bhat poignantly questioned the federal inquiry commission, “Alas, what a twist of irony. Are we not Canadians? Were not those talented children, including our beloved Deepak, the future of Canada?”
Kurl underscores that families of the victims continue to fight for recognition as Canadians. In the past 40 years, only two prime ministers have attended an Air India 182 memorial: Paul Martin and Stephen Harper. Moreover, no sitting Canadian prime minister has participated in a memorial since 2010.
The lack of awareness surrounding the Air India bombing and the resulting call for increased education highlight the need for a national acknowledgment of this tragic event in Canada's history. As the anniversary approaches, the emphasis on remembrance and education becomes increasingly critical for the families impacted and for fostering a collective national memory.
