Canada apologizes to victims’ families on 25th anniversary
Shyamala Jean Laurence, 18 and Krithika Nicola Laurence, 15 were killed on Air India Flight 182. This picture was taken in Toronto just days before the tragedy in June 1985. (Picture courtesy Nagendran Meiyappan)
Air India Flight 182 was 45 minutes away from London’s Heathrow airport when it exploded over the North Atlantic near Ireland, killing all 329 passengers on board 25 years ago.
The Boeing 747 jet named after Emperor Kanishka was carrying 82 children, among them Sri Lankan-born sisters traveling from Canada to India.
The two sisters Shyamala, 18, and Krithika, 15, were young and energetic students of Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, also had their own dance school with several students. Summer holidays had just begun in 1985 when the sisters looked forward to Bharatanatyam dance training from their guru Adyar Laxman in India.
“Eighty-two of those on board the aircraft were children, no doubt to be received and shown off with happy pride. Activities familiar to all of us, a journey begun with excitement and hopeful expectations,” said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he spoke at the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182. “But, that day the innocence, the pleasure, the anticipation, all of it was snuffed out by an act of grotesque violence and malevolence.”
Harper apologized for intelligence and security failures in 1985 that led to the bombing of Flight 182. He also expressed regret over the poor treatment meted out to victims’ families by government agencies in the years that followed.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reflects during a memorial to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Air India tragedy in Toronto. (Picture by Jason Ransom)
“The mere fact of the destruction of Air India Flight 182, is the primary evidence that something went very, very wrong. For that, we are sorry. For that, and also for the years during which your legitimate need for answers and indeed, for empathy, were treated with administrative disdain,” Harper said at the commemoration ceremony in Toronto.
Sarojini Laurence, mother of the two sisters killed on Flight 182 says she still has faith in Canada, during an exclusive interview with The Sri Lanka Reporter from her Kotahena, Sri Lanka residence.
“There are many things I like about Canada. Prime Minister’s attitude is one among them. To admit the fault, mistake and be in the open to show it,” she said.
Her life changed at the crack of dawn on June 23, 1985, when she and her husband, John, received the dreadful phone call. They moved between Chennai and Colombo following their tragic loss. In 1994 John Laurence passed away.
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“After 25 years, can I go back? One lesson in life, we can make plans however, they can change,” Mrs. Laurence says over the telephone from Sri Lanka.
Mrs. Laurence enjoyed being a mother, a schedule filled with her daughters’ extra curricular activities. Apart from regular dance routines, the girls enjoyed sports, and spent time learning several languages including Tamil, French, Sanskrit, Hindi and Latin.
Shyamala and Krithika were popular dancers in Toronto and had their own dance school with several students. (Picture by Nagendran Meiyappan)
She describes the girls as close friends, who shared a good understanding on stage during classical dance performances. Their dance co-ordination was so intrinsic and smooth, finding a flaw was a difficult task. Shyamala and Krithika’s performances ranged from the Port Credit Hospital fundraiser, to schools, libraries, art galleries across Canada, to the United Nations and Sri Lankan New Year celebrations in Toronto.
“The older sister, Shyamala, was keen to spend a year in India to learn classical dance. The younger girl (Krithika) didn’t like the idea of being alone,” said Mrs. Laurence emphasizing the bond that existed between her daughters.
Shyamala and Krithika were born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and arrived in Canada as toddlers with their parents. Classical dance was introduced by their aunt Mrs. Logambikai, a well-known dancer and nurtured by their mother who also loved the arts.
Mrs. Laurence has visited the memorial site in Cork, Ireland, and hopes to visit the site in Toronto located in Humber Bay Park near the shores of Lake Ontario shortly.
