On the 40th anniversary of the Kanishka bombing, Bob Rae, Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reflected on the painful legacy of the terror attack that killed 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182.

He spoke from Cork, Ireland, where the plane's wreckage was recovered after being blown up mid-air on June 23, 1985, by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa. Rae urged Canadians to acknowledge the truth behind the incident.

He said, “Canadians need to be aware and know that what happened happened because people living in our country planned and plotted the placing of a bomb and the explosion of that bomb.”

He added, “As a Canadian, I feel so strongly that this act of terror must be etched deeply into the texture of the history of our country. It was not something that happened elsewhere, it was not something that was planned in another place, it was planned in our midst.”

Rae also praised Ireland’s continued support for the families of the victims. He said, “And finally, the lesson that we can learn is to appreciate the strength of the love that we share for each other, the generosity and the welcome that the people of Ireland have shown us over the last 40 years have been extraordinary.”

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid tribute as well and called the bombing “one of the worst acts of terrorism.”

He wrote in a post on X, “On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost in one of the worst acts of terrorism. A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.”

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, and Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree laid wreaths at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork along with a delegation of Indian leaders.

On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 was blown up by the Canada-based Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa near Cork, which led to the deaths of all 329 passengers on board.

During the event, Mayor of the County of Cork Councillor Joe Carroll laid a wreath at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork. People in large numbers gathered at the site to pay tribute to the victims of the Kanishka bombing. School students offered musical tributes at the memorial.

Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin addressed the gathering and said, “Very honoured to be here in Ahakista this morning on this 40th anniversary of that terrible day in 1985 that saw the Air India flight cruelly and horrifically brought down off our coastline. It’s always a privilege and honour to attend this sober commemoration and to witness the dignity, dedication and care with which you remember your loved ones who died so horrifically 40 years ago today.”

He added, “329 innocent people lost their lives over the skies of Ireland that morning, and the passing of time does not dim the scale of loss and this atrocity. We feel the enormity of your loss when we see the faces and read the stories on the memorial here before us. Especially moving are these simple descriptions: student, child, so many young lives taken far too soon. While the scale of this horrific act is of global significance, we should never forget that it is an intensely personal tragedy. The loss and grief felt by you, the families and loved ones of the people who died that June morning in 1985 is deeply personal. One only needs to come here on any year and listen to you speak, witness you placing flowers into the sea or laying wreaths to understand how powerful that grief endures.”