Air India : Canada has informed India of bolstered security measures for Air India flights, responding to a video threat by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The SFJ’s general counsel, Gurpatwant Pannun, urged Sikhs to avoid Air India after November 19, citing potential danger to their lives. While Pannun insists it’s a call for a boycott, Canadian authorities are taking the matter “extremely seriously.”
A spokesperson for Canada’s Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, stated, “Our government takes any threat to aviation extremely seriously. We are investigating recent threats circulating online closely and with our security partners.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is actively investigating the threat, emphasizing their commitment to addressing all national security concerns. Pannun, however, denies any violent intent in the video, framing the call for a boycott as a form of civil disobedience.
India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, declared Pannun’s statement as having “serious criminal intent, punishable in all legal jurisdictions,” urging Canada to acknowledge the severity of the situation.
Air India’s Historical Context: A Sobering Reminder
This threat against Air India invokes memories of the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, the Kanishka, by Khalistani terrorists — an incident still regarded as the worst act of terrorism in Canadian history.
The attack resulted in the loss of 329 lives, with an additional blast at Tokyo’s Narita airport. The National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada commemorates this tragic event annually.
Extremist groups persist in veneration of Talwinder Singh Parmar, considered the mastermind behind the 1985 attack. Just this June, pro-Khalistan elements organized a rally in his memory near the memorial for Air India terror attack victims in Toronto.
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