Air India Commemoration Ceremony
Embassy of Ireland, New Delhi hosted a commemoration ceremony in collaboration with the High Commission of Canada in India on June 23rd to mark the 40th anniversary of the Air India 182 bombing.
Ambassador Kevin Kelly and the Canadian High Commission’s charge d’affaires Jennifer Daubeny were joined by families of the victims, members of the Indian government and Air India CEO Campbell Wilson at the ceremony, held at Canada House.
Guests signed a remembrance book on the occasion and planted a tree in memory of the victims. “Today, here in India, in Ireland and Canada, we stand in solidarity with their families. May their memory live on and be a reminder of the fact that innocent civilians need to be safe from terror wherever they are in the world,” Ambassador Kelly said.
Ireland’s Role in Recovery
Ireland’s response to the Air India disaster was one of the largest recovery and salvage operations off the Irish coast.
Hundreds of victims’ relatives travelled to Cork, which had become the focal point for the causalities of the disaster, to retrieve their loved one’s remains.
The people of Cork have formed strong bonds with the families and relatives of the disaster victims and have been thanked for their kindness, compassion and support in recovery and response to the devastating event.
The site of the Air India memorial in Ahakista was chosen by relatives of the victims seeking to find the nearest land point to where Air India Flight 182 disintegrated. The memorial was designed and constructed immediately following the tragedy and was unveiled on June 23rd, 1986, at the first anniversary of the bombing.
A sun dial, made by Cork sculptor, Ken Thompson, indicates the time of the explosion, while the names of the victims are carved on a stone memorial nearby. Locals take care of the maintenance of the memorial site and every year they join relatives of the Air India families in the annual memorial service.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree attended the memorial event and paid homage to the victims at Ahakista Memorial.
Commemoration services were also held in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
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