(Courtesy: The Globe and Mail) VANCOUVER: After knocking on the door at Parliament Hill for 10 years, families pushing for a royal commission into the Air India bombing, in ‘which 329 people were killed, have ‘been invited inside to meet with Solicitor General Herbert Gray. Representatives from the Citizens Alliance for Air India Inquiry are to this week with Mr. Gray, sparking speculation that the Liberal government is close to ‘announcing an inquiry into the disaster.
Meanwhile, the 24yearold son of the prime suspect in the bombing has. Added his name to the list of politicians and organizations calling for an inequity. Jaswinder Singh Parmar said in ‘an interview he is convinced that his father, killed by police in India in 1992, is innocent. The RCMP has accused his father of organizing the bombing.
Parmar said his father was “a fall guy” for the. RCMP, who bungled the investigation and needed a scapegoat. “There’s no proof whatsoever that my dad was remotely linked to [the bombing].” he said. ‘He said he expects police at an inquiry would continue to blame his father. Nevertheless, Parmar supports aninguiry if the victims’ families fee] it would put their minds to rest.
An Air India jetliner en route from Canada to India via London blew up off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985. Police believe that luggage condoning a bomb was transferred to the Air India plane in Toronto from a flight from Vancouver.
Most of the victims were Canadians, including 82 children. Police have never arrested anyone in connection with the bombing, despite a decade Jong investigation. However, the federal government secretly reached a financial settlement with the victims’ families and with Air India, which intended to sue Canada for loss of the jetliner.
Prime Minister Jean Chretien, former Prime Minister John Turner and several Liberal cabinet ministers, while in ‘opposition, supported the demand for a royal commission into the disaster. A commitment appoint an inquiry was part of the official Liberal platform in the 1988 election campaign.
The call for an inquiry also has been supported by organizations such as the Counter Terror Study Center and the Canadian Rights and Liberties Federation by some municipal governments in Ontario and some prominent Canadians, such as former Ottawa ‘mayor Marion Dewar, ‘But earlier this month, Gray rejected calls to make an immediate appointment saying in an interview that an inquiry would not be appropriate while the RCMP investigation is continuing. In correspondence with B,C. resident Suresh Kurl, who has frequently called for an inquiry, Gray stated that new leads were being investigated.
Liberal MP Johan Nunziata, who has been pressing for a public inquiry for several years, says the government will soon announce a royal commission. The Liberals may be “accused of being participants to foot dragging and cover-up” if they delay much longer, he said.
Ramu Ramakesavan, president of the Citizens Alliance for Air India Inquiry, this week said the meeting on Friday with Mr. Gray will be the first time that the victims’ families have met formally with a member of the federal cabinet, “No one has bothered to give us an audience,” he said, adding that even attempts to meet with the Minister of Transport were unsuccessful.
The alliance includes representatives ‘of about 50 families and friends of the Air India victims in several Canadian cities. Ramakesavan said the group is more interested in recommendations to prevent a recurrence than in dewlap on what went wrong 10 years ago.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 2, 1995
