Canadian PM, Irish President, victims' families remember 1985 Air-India bombing

Dublin, June 23 (AP):

Representatives of Canada, India and Ireland joined victims' relatives at a solemn ceremony on Thursday to remember 329 people killed when an Air-India jetliner was blown up off the southern Irish coast 20 years ago.

Canadian-based Sikh extremists hostile to the Indian Government were blamed for planting a bomb in luggage aboard the aircraft, which had been travelling from Vancouver, Canada, via Toronto, Montreal and London to India when it was torn apart about 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Irish coast on June 23, 1985.

Thursday's ceremony began 20 years later at the moment of detonation _ 8:13 a.m. Irish time (0713GMT). Irish President Mary McAleese, and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, were among several dignitaries who laid wreaths at a monument to the dead near Bantry, West Cork, in southwest Ireland. Ministers from several denominations offered prayers for the dead and for the victims' families.

Then, 329 white balloons were being released into the air, while 331 paper lanterns _ including two to represent two airport baggage handlers killed on the same day as part of the same bombing plot _ were being released on to Atlantic Ocean, from which just 131 of the victims' bodies were recovered.
The text of Canadian PM Paul Martin’s speech is here :

Martin's statement on Air-India anniversary

Fittingly, Canada marks the anniversary of the Air India bombing by declaring the day as “ National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism “ :

Governor General will designate June 23 as National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism

I hope for the future that Canada will keep close watch on the remnants of the Khalistani's still based in Canada.