Air India Flight 182

By: Alayna Kjellesvik

Summary of the attack:

There was a passenger jet explosion off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985,
that claimed the lives of all 329 passengers mostly of Canadians of Indian
ancestry and crew members. Sikh extremists were accused of sabotaging the Air
India aircraft. One suspect was convicted in 2003, 18 years after the explosion
and the deaths. The jet contained 82 children under the age of 13.
Summary of the attack:
Flight 182 was en route from Toronto to London, and continuing to Bombay. After
a stop in Montreal, where three suspicious packages were removed from the
aircraft by officials. 45 minutes away from its destination the jet disintegrated
into midair. No warning or emergency calls were issued to the public or families.
As the plane disappeared from radar screens, Heathrow staff dispatched
emergency rescue teams. They only recovered 131 bodies from the sea.
Who committed the attack?

● Sikh extremists were accused of the attack

● On September 19, 2010 they convicted Inderjit Singh Reyat

They convicted him for perjury for lying at the Air India trial. Justice Mark
McEwan sentenced him to nine years in prison. The judge said, “he acted
nothing like a remorseful man”. Six years later, he was released into a halfway
house. Then, a year later he was able to move back home.
Motivation for the attack
● The cause of the crash was not immediately known
● Airline officials say they suspected Sikh extremists planting a bomb on the
aircraft
● In the early 1980’s India was enrolled in a violent civil unrest between Sikh
and Hindu factions
● Five months later two suspects were arrested
Results of the attack:

● Largest mass killing in Canadian history

● Remnants of the airliner fell into the ocean approximately 120 miles
west-southwest of the southwestern tip of Ireland
● 329 people died including, 268 Canadians, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian
citizens
● This was the deadliest aviation accident in the history of Air India
Results of the attack:

● Was also the deadliest act of aviation terrorism until 09/11/2001

● A handful of members were arrested and tried for the Air India bombing

● Only one person was actually convicted for the terrorist attack

● The investigation and prosecution lasted up to almost twenty years

 How citizens felt after the attack (response):
● One lady’s husband was completely heartbroken when he heard the news.
He knew there was nothing he could change, but he never recovered.
● Rattan Singh Kalsi kept all the photos of his children in his retirement home
with him, but one towered over the others. Indira, his daughter, had died
nearly 30 years prior as she was just entering adulthood.
● Canadians say to this day that they wonder why no one cares about the
attack other than the families that have lost a significant person.
● Also, people are very astonished on how little information there is about Air
India 182.
Facts about Air India 182:
● Thousands of Sikh protesters took over the streets of Vancouver and other
Canadian cities
● October 31, 1984 Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards, which
created more riots across India that left thousands dead
● Today Air India is still the world's third most unsafe airline to travel on
Works Cited

https://www.britannica.com/event/Air-India-Flight-182-disaster

https://qz.com/india/1652007/canadas-indifference-to-the-1985-air-india-bombing-is-disturbing/

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/air-india-flight-182-bombing
#FederalApology

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_India_Flight_182

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/canadas-troubling-i
ndifference-to-the-air-india-bombing-91879