Air India memorial - Relatives deserve a public inquiry

YESTERDAY’S poignant ceremony in remembrance of the victims of the Air India bomb atrocity was a chilling reminder of man’s inhumanity to man.

In a heart-rending recollection of that senseless act of violence by Sikh terrorists two decades ago, relatives gathered to honour the 329 people who died when the jet was blown out of the sky off Ireland’s south west coast two decades ago.

Regrettably, there seems little hope of Canada holding a public inquiry into the disaster, despite the welcome presence of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin at Ahakista

To date, Canada’s handling of this tragic affair leaves much to be desired. There are reasons to believe the calamity could have been averted had the Canadian secret service not lost trace of two men suspected of planning the bomb attack.

Further bungling saw the destruction of vital evidence by investigators, undermining the case against two Sikh suspects who subsequently walked free from court.

Relatives of the victims are unlikely to be appeased by the offer of a national day of remembrance. The public inquiry avenue represents the best chance of bringing the facts to light.

Undeniably, relatives derived much solace from the attendance of the Premier along with President Mary McAleese and the Canadian and Indian ambassadors.

Appropriately, members of Royal Canadian Mounted Police force, the Navy, Garda Siochána and Cork University Hospital staff, who played a major role in recovery and follow-up operations, were also represented.

In a deeply moving gesture, 329 candles were floated on the waves at Ahakista where a profoundly moving sculpture in the form of a sun dial records the names of victims and marks the precise moment of the disaster.

If those flickering beacons burned briefly yesterday they will be an ever-lasting reminder of the evils of terrorism.