The landscape of North America has been beset with terrorism afflicting the American and Canadian landscape, with Canada playing battleground to the various South Asian, Middle Eastern and Chinese banned groups ranging from the Khalistanis, Sikhs for Justice, Babbar Khalsa and their many offshoots, the LTTE, PLOTE Muslim Brotherhood, IRGC connected groups, Hamas, Triad and many more who create unrest, violence in USA, Canada, India, Israel and the Middle east.
The National Security Conference held this week in Toronto, spearheaded by the Canada India Foundation and TAFSIK. a Jewish Civil rights group, brought together speakers from all denominations and from across the world like India, Israel, Iran, America, Canada to discuss the serious issue of Extremism and National Security In the light of threats by the Khalistani groups, Antisemitic groups and the Muslim brotherhood groups.
The North American continent has seen the dastardly 1985 bombing of the Air India Kanishka 747 over Ireland, by the Babbar Khalsa, a Khalistani group, killing 329 passengers and crew, and a second bomb at almost the same time on the same day in Narita, Japan, killing two baggage handlers. This was the largest act of aviation terror in North America before 9/11. Only one person has so far been convicted in connection with making those bombs.
This author was privileged to present a session on the Human cost of terrorism session focused on the “Children of Kanishka”, where more than 82 children under the age of 12 and close to 126 children under the age of 18, were killed by the radical Khalistani Bombs on Air India 182, wiping out an entire generation of children.
Let’s put that into perspective: On Air India 182, the Khalistanis killed 82 kids under the age of 12. 126 kids under 18. That was an entire new generation wiped out, who would never see the light of the new decade, let alone the millennium.
Brinda and Arti Pada, both trained dancers, embarking on their lives, perished with their dad, Vishnu Pada. Their mother, Lata Pada, still struggles to come to grips with the scale of the loss and the memories of the girls and runs the Sampradaya Academy in Toronto.
Sanjay and Deepak Turlapati, two young brothers from Toronto, lost to the world. Brilliant at academics, the brothers were inseparable. Their parents, Laxmipati and Dr. Padmini Turlapati, have returned to Ireland every year for the past 40 years to honor the boys’ memories. For the past 25 years, they have established and funded the ‘Kanishka Scholarships,’ which provide support for the college education of two Irish children each year.
John Chatlani remembers his siblings, Mala, a school topper, and his baby brother Marc, only 4 years old then, who perished with their mother. He still believes that Marc had a premonition and didn’t want to go on the flight, and he is consumed by guilt.
Sumanta and Deepa Harpalani, aged 5 and 9 respectively, were outstanding students who loved swimming, skating, and singing. Their parents, Kalyan and Mrs. Harpalani, have been heartbroken for years over the loss of their beloved children at such a young age.
Of course, Sandeeta Lazar, my own baby sister, naughty as they came, only 3 years old, and the breath in my soul. Snatched away by a cruel act of madness, by a bunch of terrorists.
I could go on; these are only a few of the 82 children of Kanishka, but you, Canada, and the world would never know them. They belonged to our lost generation, and no one speaks about them anymore.
The time has come to establish memorial learning centers and exhibits across North America, including Canada and India, to educate future generations about the horrors of the past—so that we are not condemned to repeat them—and to ensure this tragedy is included as part of the compulsory curriculum in schools across Canada and the United States.
Similarly, the bombing of Pan Am 103 on 21 December 1988 took the lives of 270 victims, including 11 on the ground, through the act of a Libyan bombing. It took away the lives of 169 Americans, including 21 returning Syracuse University students, and included citizens of 21 countries.
The horrors of 9/11 ripped apart our hearts and souls. It was the greatest aviation terrorist act in North America, perpetrated by Al-Qaeda, Mohammed Atta, Osama Bin Laden, and co. Thousands lost their lives that day in the four airplanes and the twin towers tragedy. It is a day the world can never forget. The Oklahoma bombings are another grim reminder that terrorism and religious fundamentalism are real threats to our civilized world.
Apart from terrorism and extremism, the “United Against Extremism” conference also discussed the concept of “Foreign Interference” and how foreign countries seem to covertly influence policy in foreign allied countries. The irony was that, until now, there was no legal definition of the term “Foreign Interference” in the statute books of Canada. Is there a boundary to alleged “Foreign interference”? The panel discussed whether it was okay for one government to permit its soil, resources, and citizens to discuss the seditious dismemberment and death of elected officials in another country. Whether it was allowed by Canadian Law or not, and why that should be punishable.
Ritesh Malik, the Chairperson of the Canada India Foundation (CIF), opined that Canadian society was going through a lot of threats and extremist violence that needed to be stopped. “This is not against any religion or people, but against extremism”. “This conference was to preserve Canada in its original state, and it was time that Canada fought back against extremism and restored the Nation to its pristine state, the way it was.”
TAFSIK Executive Director, Amir Epstein, wanted the end of terrorism, antisemitic discrimination, and violence all across the country by radicals against the Jewish people.
Ujjal Dosanjh, former Premier of British Columbia and also a former federal minister of Canada said that “this was an extremely important conference, the first public meeting of its kind, in a long time, that highlights the question of extremism in Canada, particularly in the Indo-Canadian community and how the politicians in the community have not paid much attention to it. This was why extremism, drugs, smuggling, terrorism, and immigration rackets coalesce and come together to create problems for our society.”
The conference was also attended by some Canadian Members of Parliament, such as MP Anna Roberts, and a Canadian Member of Parliament from Calgary, Shuvaloy “Shuv” Majumdar. Shuv a Canadian conservative MP, spoke of the need of a rules-based order and how he attended the 40th anniversary memorial of the Air India bombing, a week earlier, and explained how he had no problems in naming the murderers in the terrorist bombing of Air India 182, and how he personally knew one of the victims who died on the Kanishka. He made it clear that he was not scared of the false allegations that he was an agent of another country, when he was a strong and proud Canadian patriot who had served his country, but the time had come for a new beginning.
A conference of this nature was a significant milestone, to restore the balance of the rule of law, and it was necessary for the world that North America become a bulwark against terrorism and not allow the forces of extremism run rampage amongst our societies at large, like the radical fringe outfits such as Khalistani radicals, Hamas sympathizers, Sikhs for Justice, IRGC assets, Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS.
It’s time that all the G7 Nations took this issue up on a war footing to end all forms of terrorism and separatism emanating from their soil, especially in North America.
Sanjay Lazar
Sanjay Lazar is an Analyst, Lawyer, Author & commentator, who writes on International relations, Aviation and law. He is @sjlazars on @x.
