Families angry at lack of action

RELATIVES of some of the 329 people killed in the Air India bombing have criticised the Canadian Prime Minister for failing to launch a public inquiry.

Families reacted angrily yesterday after Paul Martin said no decision would be made on an inquiry until he has received a report in the autumn from his special adviser, Bob Rae.

Padmini Turlapati, a paediatrician from Toronto, who lost her two sons in the disaster, said relatives were suffering endless frustration and agony and described the whole procedure as a “convoluted soap opera”.

Her husband Lakshminarayana, who is one of those spearheading the campaign for an inquiry, said families had waited patiently for 20 years to have their questions answered.

Nisha Thampi, who was just six years old when she lost her mother Vijaya in the tragedy, said the lack of an inquiry was adding to families’ trauma.

“The continuous search for justice and consequent lack of closure in this Canadian tragedy, even after 20 years, has been a constant agony for the families,” Ms Thampi said.

Mr Martin said the Canadian police investigation would continue.

“The police are still not letting up and we hope ultimately to be able to find out who is responsible,” he said.

Mr Rae pointed to the case of a man from Mississippi who was convicted earlier this week of killings carried out 40 years ago, as proof that it was still possible to bring the Air India bombers to justice.

But he added a note of caution.

“There is a culture of silence and intimidation. There is no point in establishing an inquiry if it’s going to be immediately derailed by appeals to the supreme court,” he said.

The leader of Canada’s opposition Conservative party, Stephen Harper, said he felt victims’ relatives had been badly treated by the system.

“There should have been a public inquiry a long time ago. The House of Commons voted for it,” he said.