Khalistan supporters demonstrated outside a recent trade forum hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) in Canada. The protests targeted the attendance of India's High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Demonstrators carried banners calling for a boycott of Air India, a private company currently owned by the Tata Group, highlighting lingering tensions connected to the 1985 Air India bombing tragedy.
The devastating bombing occurred on June 23, 1985, when an Air India flight en route from Canada to India via London exploded off the coast of Ireland. A bomb hidden within luggage tragically took the lives of all 329 passengers and crew on board.
This act of terrorism, attributed to Khalistan extremists, is remembered as one of the deadliest tragedies in Canadian history.
While peaceful protest is a fundamental right, focusing on a private company and invoking past tragedies risks overshadowing constructive dialogue. Addressing grievances within a framework of sensitivity and respect can contribute to a more productive path towards peaceful resolutions.