Forty years after the devastating Air India Flight 182 bombing, a digital and physical archive has been launched at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, to honor the 329 victims, most of whom were Canadian citizens. This initiative, spearheaded by Professor Chandrima Chakraborty, seeks to preserve the memories of those lost and educate the public about an event often overlooked in Canadian history, despite being the deadliest terrorist attack ever to occur in Canada.
The archive aims to address the historical silence surrounding the tragedy by providing a community-driven and publicly accessible platform. It features a variety of materials, including personal testimonies, inquiry reports, donated artifacts from the families, and memorial publications. The physical archive is housed in McMaster's William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections and is supported by the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship, ensuring its accessibility and preservation for future generations.
Rob Alexander, who lost his father, Anchanatt Alexander, a well-known doctor in Hamilton, has donated his father's wallet, recovered from the wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, to the archive. This act symbolizes the desire for "memory justice," ensuring that the personal stories and the profound impact of the tragedy are not forgotten. Other items in the archive include pilots' badges and personal effects, memorial books from victims' families, and the seven volumes of the 2010 public inquiry report.
Susheel Gupta, who was 12 years old when his mother, Ramwati Gupta, perished on Flight 182, also shared his memories, noting how the tragedy altered the course of his life. He now works in counterterrorism and supports victims of mass tragedies, driven by his personal loss and a commitment to ensuring such events are never forgotten. Gupta recalls his mother's love for cooking and singing, striving to keep those memories alive as time passes.
The creation of the archive has been praised by family members who see it as a crucial step in acknowledging the tragedy's significance in Canadian history. Many feel that the Air India bombing has not been given the same level of recognition as other tragedies, such as 9/11, despite its devastating impact on Canadian lives. There is a sentiment that the event was perceived as a tragedy affecting primarily the Indian community, rather than being fully integrated into the broader Canadian narrative.
In addition to the archive, community members and faith groups in British Columbia are advocating for the construction of a large memorial and education center dedicated to the victims. They hope that such a center will serve as a lasting tribute and a place of learning for future generations.
The 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182 remains a stark reminder of the gaps in intelligence sharing, inter-agency coordination, and support for victims' families that existed at the time. A 2010 federal inquiry highlighted the government's initial inadequate response and the adversarial treatment of the victims' families. The establishment of the Air India Flight 182 archive and the ongoing calls for a national memorial represent efforts to address these past failings and ensure that the victims are remembered and honored as an integral part of Canada's collective memory.
