 "History Today: The deadly bombing of Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 that killed 329 people")
On June 23, 1985, Air India’s Montreal-New Delhi ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded in mid-air just 45 minutes before it was due to land at London’s Heathrow Airport. All 329 people on board died, most of them Canadians of Indian descent.
The attack was blamed on Sikh extremists as retaliation for ‘Operation Blue Star’ , the 1984 Indian military action to remove militants from the Golden Temple.
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today , is your one-stop destination to explore key events.
Also on this day in 2018, a Thai football team known as the Wild Boars went exploring a cave after practice. What began as a fun trip quickly turned into a nightmare when monsoon rains trapped them inside. The group remained stuck for more than two weeks, in a rescue that captured attention around the world.
Further, in 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to decide on its membership in the European Union. A total of 51.9 per cent voted in favour of leaving (“Brexit”), while 48.1 per cent wanted to stay. This was the first time a country chose to leave the union.
Let’s take a look at the events in detail:
The bombing of Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182
On this day in 1985, Air India Flight 182 was on its way from Montreal to New Delhi when it exploded mid-air, just 45 minutes before it was meant to land at London’s Heathrow Airport.
All 329 passengers and crew died in the blast. Most of those on board were Canadians of Indian origin.
It remains the deadliest aviation disaster in Canadian history.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh terrorist outfit, was held responsible for the attack. It was seen as a direct response to the army operation carried out at the Golden Temple in June 1984.
After the incident, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) launched a massive inquiry. It went on to become one of the longest and most detailed terrorism investigations ever undertaken in Canada.
A few months after the bombing, Talwinder Singh Parmar, who led the Babbar Khalsa, and Inderjit Singh Reyat, an electrician, were taken into custody by the RCMP. Parmar, who was earlier sought by India for extradition in the early 1980s, was released due to a “lack of evidence".
Later findings showed that Parmar was behind the attack. He was killed by Indian police in 1992.
In 2000, Ripudaman Singh Malik, a businessman based in Vancouver, and Ajaib Singh Bagri, a mill worker from British Columbia, were charged with offences including mass murder and conspiracy.
But in 2005, after a long court process, both were cleared of all charges. The judge cited problems with the facts presented and questions over the reliability of key witnesses. The verdict came as a blow to the families of the victims.
Reyat was the only person who ended up being found guilty in connection with the bombing. He was later convicted of lying under oath during the trial of Malik and Bagri, which led to a further prison sentence.
When Thai football team was trapped in cave
It began as a casual outing after football practice. On June 23, 2018, Ekkapol Chantawong, a 25-year-old coach, took his Thai youth team, the Wild Boars, to explore a cave he had visited before. The plan was to spend around an hour inside.
But once inside, monsoon rains arrived, flooding the entrance and leaving the coach and his 12 players, aged between 11 and 16, stuck underground.
They would stay trapped for over two weeks, in a tragedy that gained worldwide attention.
The group had entered the Tham Luang cave system with only a rope, a torch and some batteries. They carried no food or water.
News of their disappearance spread quickly, and the search effort turned global. An international team of cave divers, led by Thai Navy Seals, launched a major operation to find and rescue them. British divers located the team around 2.5 miles inside the cave on July 2, 2018.
A highly risky rescue followed. All the boys and their coach were brought out between July 8 and 10.
The operation claimed the life of a volunteer and former Thai Navy Seal, Saman Kunan, who died on July 6 while delivering oxygen tanks and ran out of air underwater.
Brexit: When UK voted to pull out of European Union
On this day in 2016, the United Kingdom held a vote to decide whether to remain in the European Union (EU).
Voters were asked: ‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?’ A total of 51.89 per cent chose to leave.
After the formal notice to withdraw was submitted in March 2017, negotiations on the terms of exit carried on for more than two years.
Then Prime Minister Theresa May, whose leadership was closely tied to Brexit , stepped down in July 2019 after failing multiple times to get her deal approved in Parliament.
Her successor, Boris Johnson, eventually led the country out of the EU.
The UK officially exited the bloc on January 31, 2020. The right to live and work freely between Britain and EU member states came to an end.
Notably, the term ‘Brexit’ is the name given to the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. It is a combination of ‘Britain’ and ‘exit’.
This Day, That Year
1956: Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected as Egypt’s president.
1961: The Antarctic Treaty came into force, setting aside the continent for peaceful, non-political scientific research.
1992: Mafia leader John Gotti, known as the “Teflon Don” for avoiding conviction in several trials during the 1980s, was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty on 14 counts, including conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering.
2022: The US Supreme Court declared that Americans have the right to carry firearms in public for self-defence.
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