Bombing of Air India Flight 182 Background On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182 detonated over the North Atlantic. The bombing is the biggest act of terrorism in Canadian history, the majority of passengers and suspects were citizens of Canada, and the bombs were made in Vancouver. Following the incident, India's government received condolences from Brian Mulroney, the prime minister of Canada at the time. Although the reason of the accident was initially unknown, airline officials believed that Sikh extremists had planted a bomb on the aeroplane; this was because India was experiencing serious civil turmoil between Sikh and Hindu factions in the early 1980s. The two suspects were taken into custody five months after the incident. Although Talwinder Singh Parmar, one of the accused, was eventually cleared of all charges, Canadian authorities still felt he was the architect of the attack. Later, Indian police killed him. A Canadian panel was tasked with investigating the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 2006. The panel determined in its 2010 five-volume report that the accident was caused by a cascading series of errors. Specifically, it discovered that Canadian security and intelligence services had resorted to "turf wars" rather than exchanging intelligence. Major Events 55 Minutes before the Air India 182 crash, an explosion occurred at Tokyo International Airport killing two people and injuring four. On the same day, an unmanned bag arrived at Tokyo which was to be dispatched to Air India flight 301. The bag contained an IED and was to be exploded. If this event were successful, there would have been two bombings simultaneously. The investigations of the attacks revealed that there was a person Mr Singh who reserved two flights with different routes, one of them was Air India 182. There was also a slight ambush between flight agent and Mr Singh when he denied his bag access to the flight but later he was relented and his bag was checked into the flight. Later the Mr Singh took the other flight and his bag departed without him onboard. A Sikh separatist group of India was behind these bombings. As mentioned above, Talwinder Singh Parmar was the mastermind of these attacks. There was along investigations and roots were traced with a huge cost. The Canadian security forces were criticized a lot on this lapse. Later prime minister of Canada Apologized from his state. The terrorist assault of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, exposed serious flaws in security and screening protocols at airports. The explosive device was installed in Canada, highlighting the necessity of stricter controls to prevent unauthorised access to planes and enhanced security procedures to identify possible dangers. The incident made holes in the aviation security system that terrorists may take advantage of. Lessons learned from Air India Flight 182 Key takeaways from the Air India bombing were international collaboration and intelligence sharing. The incident illustrated how crucial it is for nations and intelligence services to work together in order to effectively combat transnational terrorism. Increasing the flow of information and fortifying lines of contact might have stopped the scheme and spared the terrible deaths. There was a noticeable change towards more aggressive counterterrorism efforts following the incident. Governments and aviation authorities understood how important it was to remain ahead of risks as they changed. This entailed strengthening intelligence-gathering capacities, taking preventative measures against recognised or suspected terrorist organisations, and continuously modifying security plans to offset new threats. The event led to a thorough evaluation and enhancement of airline security procedures. It became essential to use more stringent luggage screening procedures, comprehensive passenger inspections, and cutting-edge explosives detection technologies. The emphasis moved to developing a multi-layered security strategy to guarantee thorough screening of travellers, belongings, and cargo. The bombing of Air India Flight 182 made difficulties in agency cooperation and crisis response apparent. An efficient and prompt reaction to the disaster was hampered by poor communication and a delay in resource mobilisation. Lessons learnt highlighted the significance of competent crisis management, coordination, and simplified communication to reduce the impact of such incidents and improve the efficiency of emergency responses. After Air India Flight 182 was bombed, cultural and religious sensitivity became increasingly important. Since the attack was connected to Sikh separatism, it is critical to resolve resentment and foster understanding in order to stop radicalization and extremism. This lesson emphasised the need for a comprehensive strategy that considers the dynamics of culture and religion in order to promote a more secure and inclusive global aviation environment. References [1] A timeline of the Air India case, from the bombings to the death of an old suspect. (2022, July 15). CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/air-india-bombingtimeline-1.6520841 [2] Air India Flight 182. (2020). Www.hindustantimes.com. https://www.hindustantimes.com/static/AI182/tablet/index.html [3] Air India Flight 182 disaster. (2022). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Air-India-Flight-182-disaster [4] Air India flight 182: 1985 bombing back in news after Canada row. (2023, September 27). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66909820 [5] Seshia, M. (2012). From Foreign to Canadian: The Case of Air India and the Denial of Racism. TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, 27, 215–231. https://doi.org/10.3138/topia.27.215
