The Air India incident has long been dubbed by many as an international “whose done it”. The finger pointing never stops at any level, from who was responsible for the bombings, to who was responsible for mucking up the investigation. Personally, I’ve always ascribed to the Soft Target view as published by Globe and Mail journalists in contrast to the CBC’s take on things, but had little in way of public record to support that angle. However a recent confession of sorts by the very officer directly involved in bringing down Parmar seems to have turned the tide of things.
The officer, DSP Harmail Singh Chandi, recently came forward and basically acknowledged the following as being fact:
Parmar was killed while in police custody after having been arrested held and interrogated for five days.
All the official reports which have Parmar being killed in a old western style shoot ‘em up.
Evidence was gathered, audio tapes, written confessions, but were destroyed at the bequest of higher ups in the Government in an effort to protect those involved, particularly to remove any trace of Government involvement.
Acknowledges the fact that the Indian Government had direct involvement in the Air India Bombings
In Parmar’s confessions, he singled out Lakhwinder Singh Brar (head of the ISYF) as being the brains behind the operation.
This would pit Brar, who some had suspected and accused of being GOI, as having a direct role and thereby being responsible for the AI Bombings. Also due to the alleged government protection of Lakhwinder Singh, by association dub him to be a Governments official, acting on their behalf. Or as many others have come to say it, claiming him to be a ‘Go-erment Da Bunda’.
The fact that the following has been noticed and noted in the public record of the AI Inquiry is huge in part because it officially points the finger at the GOI for having been responsible in part for orchestrating these heinous acts. Secondly it points fingers at both Parmar and Brar for having masterminded and carrying out the bombings. Finally, and I guess for some the biggest shocker of all, calls out Lakhwinder Singh and the Federation for having been instruments of the Government.
Although it’s still too soon to know what the fall out from all this will be, I’m sure its going to turn a lot of heads and raise a whole load of new questions, from all sides. Particularly who is this DSP, why did he come out now, is his confession not an admission of guilt to having committed several crimes and if so does he not stand to be prosecuted for those crimes, who is the DSP’s daddy and what does he do, and a whole load else.
But more then anything else it introduces for the first time in a long while, an interesting new twist in what has already become one complex web of truths, mis-truths and lies.
—
For those interested in whats being said about the latest in the papers check out:
Or you could read below from the actual source - Tehelka.com
OPERATION SILENCE
The police encounter of Kanishka bombing’s alleged mastermind, Talwinder Parmar, may have been staged to save the real players. Vikram Jit Singh reports
Fifteen years after Babbar Khalsa International leader Talwinder Singh Parmar, one of the two alleged masterminds of the mid-air bombing of Air India’s Kanishka airplane, was shown as having being killed in an encounter in Punjab, retired Punjab Police DSP Harmail Singh Chandi, who nabbed Parmar from Jammu in September 1992 and interrogated him for five days before he was killed along with five others, has come forward with the claim that Parmar was killed in police custody on the orders of senior police officers, who also asked his confession record to be destroyed. In his confession, Parmar had named Lakhbir Singh Brar “Rode”, nephew of the late Bhindranwale and head of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, as the mastermind of the bombing. Rode, who is now said to be holed up in Lahore, has never figured in the investigations of either the CBI or the Canadian authorities.
Chandi has brought forward the entire record of Parmar’s confession, including audio tapes and statements, before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the John Major Commission of Inquiry that is reinvestigating the June 23, 1985 blast that claimed 331 lives off the Irish coast. Chandi had been ordered by senior officers to destroy the records but he retained them secretly. The record was brought before the Major Commission due to seven-year-long investigations by the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), a Chandigarh-based ngo that conducted interviews of Parmar’s associates in India and Canada and pieced together a comprehensive report. The PHRO’s Principal Investigator Sarbjit Singh and lawyer Rajvinder Singh Bains flew to Canada along with Harmail in June and produced their findings before the Commission’s counsels.
A Canadian citizen, Parmar was shown as having been killed in an exchange of fire between police and six militants in the wee hours of October 15, 1992, near village Kang Arian in Phillar sub-division. However, evidence brought forward by Harmail (who was then DSP, Phillaur) shows that Parmar was interrogated between October 9 and 14 by senior police officers, where he revealed that the blasts were instigated by Lakhbir Singh Brar Rode.
Parmar’s confession reads: “Around May 1985, a functionary of the International Sikh Youth Federation came to me and introduced himself as Lakhbir Singh and asked me for help in conducting some violent activities to express the resentment of the Sikhs. I told him to come after a few days so that I could arrange for dynamite and battery etc. He told me that he would first like to see a trial of the blast…After about four days, Lakhbir Singh and another youth, Inderjit Singh Reyat, both came to me. We went into the jungle (of British Columbia). There we joined a dynamite stick with a battery and triggered off a blast. Lakhbir and Inderjit, even at that time, had in their minds a plan to blast an aeroplane. I was not too keen on this plan but agreed to arrange for the dynamite sticks. Inderjit wanted to use for this purpose a transistor fitted with a battery…That very day, they took dynamite sticks from me and left.
“Then Lakhbir Singh, Inderjit Singh and their accomplice, Manjit Singh, made a plan to plant bombs in an Air India (AI) plane leaving from Toronto via London for Delhi and another flight that was to leave Tokyo for Bangkok. Lakhbir Singh got the seat booking done from Vancouver to Tokyo and then onwards to Bangkok, while Manjit Singh got it done from Vancouver to Toronto and then from Toronto to Delhi. Inderjit prepared the bags for the flights, which were loaded with dynamite bombs fitted with a battery and transistor. They decided that the suitcases will be booked but they themselves will not travel by the same flights although they will take the boarding passes. After preparing these bombs, the plan was ready for execution by June 21 or 22, 1985. However, the bomb to be kept in the flight from Tokyo to Delhi via Bangkok exploded at the Narita airport on the conveyor belt. The second suitcase that was loaded on the Toronto-Delhi ai flight exploded in the air.”
Sarabjit said the PHRO’s probe has shown that Parmar was killed to hide the name of Lakhbir, who was an Indian agent. “After the Khalistan movement gained in sympathy in the West, especially in Canada, after the 1984 Blue Star operation and the killing of Sikhs in Delhi, a plot was hatched to discredit the Sikh movement. Parmar was roped in by Lakhbir at the behest of his masters. The Punjab Police got orders to finish off Parmar as he knew too much about the main perpetrators. On the day of the Kanishka blast, an explosion took place at Japan’s Narita airport, where two Japanese baggage handlers were killed. The plot was to trigger blasts when the two aircraft had de-embarked their passengers but the 1 hour 40 minute delay in Kanishka’s takeoff led to the bomb exploding mid-air,” Sarbjit said.
What gives credence to Sarabjit’s charge is the Source Report (in Tehelka’s posession) prepared by the Jalandhar Police soon after Parmar was killed. Based on information provided by Parmar — though not attributing it to his interrogation — the report makes no reference to Lakhbir. Interestingly, Lakhbir, accused in many acts of terrorist violence, is wanted by the Indian Government in only a minor case registered in Moga, Punjab. The Red Corner Interpol notice, A-23/1-1997, put out by the CBI against Lakhbir states: “OFFENCES: House breaking, theft, damage by fire.”
The PHRO told Canadian authorties that conclusive evidence existed of Parmar being killed in police custody and not in the “encounter” shown in FIR No 105 registered at Phillaur police station on October 15, 1992. The PHRO report, AI Flight 182 Case, states “On October 14, 1992, a high-level decision was conveyed to the police that Parmar had to be killed…The contradiction in the FIR and post-mortem report (PMR) is too obvious. As per the FIR, Parmar was killed by AK-47 fire by SSP Satish K Sharma from a rooftop. The PMR shows the line of fire of the three bullets is different. It cannot be if one person is firing from a fixed position. The PMR is very sketchy and no chemical analysis was done. Moreover, the time of death is between 12am and 2am according to the PMR, whereas the FIR records the time of death at 5.30am.”
Then Jalandhar SSP and now IGP, Satish K Sharma, denied the charge. “It was a clean encounter. The RCMP is bringing this up because they botched their investigations and failed to get convictions,” he said.
I’m trying not to slump back into the ways of youtub’ing videos on a daily but some vidoes just stick out, and I figure this is the easiest means to share them.
There were a few others in the series on a similar note that focused on exposing the Dali Lama, and Mother Theresa which I’ve also included below.
As for Gandhi I’m not a fan, but as far as the Dali Lama and Mother Therersa go, I doubt that they’re near as evil as made out to be and the videos don’t add near as much credability or fuel to any fire or movement against them. Instead it would seem that it’s just an attempt to stir contraversy to insite discussion on the matter, but it does provide some food for thought, while being entertaining at the same time.
Note - the videos do contain language, and racial stereotypes that some may find offensive, so do note that you’ve been warned.
Writing by shinda on Saturday, 17 of February , 2007
Even though most of you have your attention and sights set on All Star Weekend, I thought it would be safe to share some info about some other happenings, specifically Amu, a movie that looks at the whole 1984 Riots in Delhi.
I haven’t seen the movie myself, but will probably try and make it sometime to check it out soon, just because it does seem promising. By promising I mean that it does seem to have some potential to educate if not give some insight into just a part of what happened in 1984. I remember few years back there was Hawyian, but that movie no where near lived up to the hype surrounding it, and instead felt more like a SSA/COSS meeting that was aimed at tackling a problem, but instead settled everything by pulling the whole “mis-communication” line.
Hopefully Amu will be different. Hopefully it will take a solid stand and not really sit on the fence as much as I feel Hawyian did. From what I’ve been told by those who have watched it, the movie is worth watching and supporting, so I’ll give it a chance and see what happens.
I’ll probably follow up with a review of it if I do get a chance to check it out, which I do hope is pretty soon. For those interested, below is the official trailer with the synopsis from the site and local show times. The organizers are hoping to get enough people out this weekend to help fuel this movie’s play time at the given theaters since it is limited and the theaters intent on keeping the movie running is motivated almost entirely by ticket sales.
Summary:
Amu is the journey of Kajori Roy, a 21-year-old Indian American woman who has lived in the US since the age of 3. After graduating from UCLA Kaju goes to India to visit her relatives. There she meets Kabir, a college student from an upper class family who is disdainful of Kaju’s wide-eyed wonder at discovering the “real India”. Undeterred Kaju visits the slums, crowded markets and roadside cafes of Delhi. In one slum she is struck by an odd feeling of déjà vu. Soon after she starts having nightmares. Kabir gets drawn into the mystery of why this is happening particularly when he discovers that she is adopted.
Meanwhile Kaju’s adoptive mother – Keya Roy, a single parent and civil rights activist in LA, arrives unannounced in Delhi. She is shocked to discover that Kaju has been visiting the slums. Although Kaju mistakes her mother’s response to a typical Indian over protectiveness – Keya’s fears are deeper rooted.
Slowly Kaju starts piecing together what happened to her birth parents and mother and daughter clash as Kaju discovers she has been lied to her whole life. What was the truth? Why was it suppressed? As Kaju and Kabir undertake this quest they both discover their families involvement with a man made tragedy of immense proportions which took place twenty years ago in the capital city of India: the massacre of thousands of people of the Sikh faith. In a searing climax the young people are forced to confront the reality of the past and how it affects the present.
TORONTO Opening: Feb 16: Cineplex Carlton 20 Carlton St. (at Yonge St.), Toronto (416) 598-2309 Show Times: Mon – Fri: 4 30, 7, 9.30 Sat Sun: 1.30, 4.30, 7, 9.30
Empire Square One 100 City Center Drive Missisauga (905) 275 2640 Show Times: 1, 4, 7, 9.40
Empire Empress Walk 5095 Yonge St. (Empress Ave.) North York (416) 223-9550 Show Times: Fri – Sun: 1, 4, 7, 10 Mon – Thurs: 4, 7, 10
Hindi print: without subtitles Rainbow Woodbine Woodbine Center Mall 500 Rexdale Blvd. (at Hwy 27) Etobicoke (416) 213 9048 Show Times: 12.45, 2.50, 4.50, 7, 9.10 MONTREAL Opening: Feb 23
AMC Forum 22 2313 St. Catherine West Montreal (514) 904 1250 VANCOUVER Opening: Feb 23
Empire Granville 7 855 Granville St. Vancouver (604) 684 4000
Cineplex Strawberry Hill Grande 12161 72nd Ave Surrey, BC (604) 501 9400
Writing by shinda on Wednesday, 31 of January , 2007
For those of you who follow the comments the above video clip isn’t really news, but I thought I’d share it anyways. Incidentally Hollywood has decided to take an interest in the saga that once divided Punjab, and has decided to go down a path that even Bollywood is weary of traveling down.
The thing that Bollywood understands better then Hollywood, is that even though ‘84 was a huge atrocity and slap against the Sikh psyche, the Sikh community in India and abroad is nonetheless greatly divided on the whole thing with many Sikhs themselves having accepted the blame for the events of the mid 80’s. Yet when it comes to the topic of partition and India’s independence the vast majority (of Sikhs) let their patriotism shine through.
That goes without saying though, considering that a majority of those who suffered (lost land, wealth, lives etc) were Sikhs. Majority of the armed forces that battled against Pakistan at the time were Sikh (90% if memory serves me right), and it was the Sikhs after all who lost the freedom to access Nakana Sahib. Taking all that into account it should be no surprise that naturally a movie that tends to show Sikhs in a negative light in that whole saga won’t exactly be praised or win any acclaims from this side.
Now in all fairness I have yet to watch the trailer with any sound, but then again the pictures in the scenes do speak for themselves, and it’s no surprise that this movie offends at multiple levels. First it attacks the sentiments of those who hold the Sikhi saroop in high esteem with the man’s cutting his hair and all for his girl. Then it insults the more general Sikh populous with the whole converting to Islam (the enemy) thing.
How it ends up I guess you’d have to watch the movie to find out. Does he keep his kes again?, or does he win over his girl with his new found faith? Does their love conquer all and do they defy all religious, cultural and whatever other boundaries they had separating them to be together? Does Clark reveal his powers to Lana and steal her away from this fool? One can only speculate, but that would involve watching the movie, which after all we are trying to boycott.
Then again who really cares? Its just a movie, a chic flick at that, so who out of ‘yall (those having already commented) would have gone to see this movie anyways? Be honest, by even bringing it this much attention we are doing exactly what the directors and producers always wanted, creating a buzz. A buzz, good or bad, which will create a sense of curiosity in peoples minds, making them to want and see more of the movie. Making those inept of pirating the movie from mininova to actually go and pay to even watch it, fueling the economic engine, making this project all worth while for the producers to begin with.
Now that i think about it, why are we so pissed again? Is it at the fact that they’re showing a Singh converting to Islam? or are we pissed at them showing him cutting his hair? or was it that raunchy scene with him and Kristen that’s got us all buzzing for the boycott? After all if thats whats got our kashera’s in a knot then don’t we got bigger problems to worry about, seeing as how 18 year olds are leaving Sangat, doing the devils powder, and murdering mans?
Oh well I said my piece, time to get back to work.
Writing by shinda on Tuesday, 16 of January , 2007
I hate gandhi, have hated Gandhi and will probabbly forever despise the man who is so falsely misrepresented as being the leader of India’s independence. None the less he is the father of India, so when a video of him performing a strip tease surfaced on youtube a month ago, the fools down in India’s government quickly took notice, and are now trying to get the video banned from youtube and looking into banning YouTube.
None the less I have to thank the Indian media for bringing the video to my attention since I thought it was pretty funny although the joke does run a little long, but then again I guess anything bashing Gandhi will make my day.
Note the video is disturbing so if you have sensitivity issues, then you’re better of not watching it.
Writing by shinda on Saturday, 2 of December , 2006
Last week there was a meeting held by the Government of Canada, at Pearson convention center to get the community’s input on what they wanted to see from the Government in an effort make amends for the Komagata Maru incident of 1914.
Incidentally enough the community came out in all its diverseness to put forth its views for the respected camps they represented. Having found and read the following posts [1, 2, 3, 4] on the whole thing I only felt it fare to toss my 10 cents into the mix and share some notable suggestions from the day, or at least those few that I can still remember. (Note:- None of these are direct quotes, rather me paraphrasing to the best of my memory. Notably some names have been replaced, due to lack of memory of who actually said what, also other names have been replaced with groups who I felt pretty much said the same thing.)
Don’t insult the Sikhs, by referring to the incident as an Indo-Canadian tragedy. Majority of those involved in the tragedy were themselves Sikhs and seeing as how the Government and constitution of India [article. 25], fails to recognize and continues to deny Sikhs their rights, don’t ad insult to injury by lumping Sikhs and Indians together in the same boat. - Pardeep Singh Nagra
Prime Minister, Stephen Harper is God incarnate. May all praise be upon Mr. Harper for doing what is not only morally right but for taking a firm stand for the protection of human rights. May God shower Stephen Harper with a long and prosperous life, and may the Conservative party continue to lead Canadians on the moral and just path. - Sam Hundal
If the government is truly sorry for the incidents of the Komagata Maru, and is serious about making amends, then it needs to also reflect and focus upon the policies that led up to the event just as much as it does on the actual event itself. We are seeing similar preferential, racial treatment today being reflected not only in Canada’s immigration laws and policies, but also in the judicial, and government offices appointments that mirror the racial and prejudicial policies and attitudes that existed in 1914. Apologize for yesterdays mistakes by not continually repeating those same mistakes today. - Sikhs For Social Justice and few other Sikh youth speakers, including COSS.
Focus on grass roots education in history classes, by giving the incident more then just an aside note in history books and making the Komagata Maru incident an essential part in the study of Canadian History. Reflect upon the Sikhs contribution to Canadian society and help to uncover the history, role and acknowledgement of the Sikhs throughout Canada’s formation. (I.e Details in regards to Sir John A McDonald’s recognition of the Sikh martial tradition.) - Sandeep Singh Brar [Sikhs.org], COSS, and many others
Stop discriminating against us now. Give our elders old age pension. - Various Sikh elders.
Other suggestions that were reflected by many included such things as:
A formal and written apology by the Government, in the house of commons
Memorial erected at Stanley Park to commemerate and educate about the tragedy.
Create a heritage commercial, on the incident. [Click a segments on the right to play]
Make parliamentarians watch the documentary, (A Continuous Journey), on the Komagata Maru in the House of Commons
Play the documentary of the Komagata Maru on CBC (National Television)
Make an effort to honour the families of those aboard the Komagata Maru, and offer the kin of those rejected a chance to settle and immigrate to Canada.
There were other points also discussed but the above was most of what stood out to me and that I was able to take back. There were various other speakers who also spoke, but I feel the above sums up the majority of what was spoken. Now that the ball is back in the Governments hands, lets see what they do, considering they want to get this done before April so that it doesn’t end up getting swallowed and forgotten about in another election.
This blog for better or worse is an extension of my procrastination and boredom. It's not intended to convince, impress or convert you to be anything more then what you already are, but if it does then more power to it. Do be warned that the time you waste on this site, will be your own and I will not in any way shape or form be held responsible in compensating you for your losses.
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