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Remember Me Nought: the 1985 Air India Bombings and Cultural "Nachtrdglichkeit"T by Angela Failler with Artwork by Eisha Matjara

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Remember Me Nought: the 1985 Air India Bombings and Cultural Remember Me Nought: The 1985 Air India Bombings and Cultural "Nachtrdglichkeit"t by Angela Failler with artwork by Eisha Matjara This paper engages with the poJitrcs of remembering and forgetting that surround the unsettled history of the 1985 Air India bombings. In particular, I use the concepts Nachtriiglichkeit and "affective recircuitry" to describe the way in r,vhich the bombings have been problematically and retroactively framed through a post-9 / 1"1. "war on terror" lens in recent, public recollections of this traumltic past. Examples are drawn from the federal Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing ofAir India !B2,as well as from public memorial sites and ceremonies dedicated to those killed in the bombings. The paper also centres on a reading of Eisha Majarat new photomontage series Remember Me Nought to consider how artistic commernoracions might contribute to a criticai counterpublic in response to the injustices that continue to manifest in the ongoing aftermath of this mass violence. A History of Forgetting In 2005, during the long overdue criminal trials of Air India bombing suspects Ripudaman Singh Malik fromVancouver, British Columbia (B.C.) and Ajaib Sing Bagri from Kamloops, B.C., plane wreckage stored in a "secret" Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) warehouse was revealed to the court as forensic evidence.2The wreckage, including pieces of passenger seats and a fuselage with windows still intact, had been recovered from the ocean floor afterAir India Flight 182 crashed off rhe coast of Ireland onJune 23,I985.The flight had originated inToronto, destined for Delhi via Montr6al and London.All three hundred and twenty-nine passengers and crew on board rvere killed in the crash, which was the resuit of a mid-air explosion.Among them were two hundred and eighty Canadian citizens, the majority of whom 'uvere of Indian (South Asian) backgrounds. Less than an hour earlier, in a separate but ostensibly related explosion, Japanese baggage handlers Hideo Asano and Hideharu I{oda were killed as they prepared another Air India flight to depart fi-om Narita airport tn Tokyo. The tr,vo suspects on trial, Malik and Bagri, r,vhose alleged involvements r'r'ith a radical Sikh separatist movement implicated them in the attack on Indiat national airline, rvere that the eventually acquitted by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Josephson.3 Josephson deterrnined handling of .rrid.n.. by RCMF and the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (C_SIS) during the p.ol-onged twenry-year investigation had been critically flawed, prompting the--release of the accuied.a His decision was met wiih dismay by the relatives and friends of those killed. For them, the ongoing lack of resolve in the case simply added insult to injury, deepening their already unanswered Erief. fiurune-gJo prrFl sn{J ..rorrat uo re a,, ll/6-lsod e q8no;qr peulel; dlenrlctorla; ueeq e^rg s8ulquroq ?rpul rry 9g6l''suol ar{f 'stunofce trperu ru€ertsureru pue saruerqureurer I?IJUJo lueler ulqfllx1 drlrncrrc e1 e,trrcaJJV pur, ..]re>lqlq8erlqce g,, arrnlnJ rqt ur ol popuodse-r pue pootsrepun eq ru^\ ursrforret ,4 oq roJ s8urqruoq erpul rIV eqt 3o ,,s8uuequleurer,, tuere-r '-relntitrtd 3o acuenbasuor eqt eq tq8nu teqa,r d11eug puv asJJltJe,rd a:ue.rqruerller reqlo pue slerrorrreur Jo u8rsap pu? uortrnrtsuot eql ur patroger srqt sI pue dlluesa;d tstd rrterun?r] slql Suueqtuerue.r ^Aoq ur e>lets te aq ot uoes sr teq,u';eaoe;ow aue^e poDrruo 'pe.tlopeqs,ralo ueeq eleq (esoq.tr ;o) qcqrvt pur .pedeldsrp pu? pezrtrlgnd uaeq arreq drotsrq srqt ot peteler selll?rreu pue'salrs'slcetqo (esoq.u ;o) qtlqA.;pezqeurSmu ueeg e,{eq qllqr\\ pue pe8epr.r;d uaaq e.r.eq sar8ettrts Ieuolt?luase;del qlql6 2.drqr uelet s8urqruoq erpul rly 9g6l aqt Jo suolt€zqtlJoureur aleq ,noq 'dltogrcads e;oru puy op .^aoq'sp;o,u. reqlo uI'srorilo 2drr.roqlne rrJoqruds ure8 lsed rrt€urnert erpJo suoD?zrlelroruetu ul?Jrer ;elnrtl.red rv\or{Jo JeAo struneJl I€3rlotsrqJo olu?JqtuaureJ or{l JoJ (ur) puets ol eurof suotleluesa;de; uortsenb repeorq eqt esrrr ot repro ur,.Surpe8rog,,Jo aru?tsul slqt qtl^\ reded dru ernPorlul I .stcafo-rd Ierrorueur aqt Suraes.re^o roJ elqrsuodsa; sltrJgJo crlqnd eqt dq tstel t? lnq [? s,reeddr eueld aqryo eSelcelrl eq] 8ur;ntte3 tuetunuotu IentrtJllre u? e^€q ol erlseP purfiuo-ueilo$;oJ :rraqt '(uortelol eqt Surpnlcur) setrs aser{t go slredse uretrer uo pellnsuor l'lpet,rode-r se,n V{AIV apqTyyordrotsrr{ rtlnrru?d srql;o srepurluer potl?rtsqe'cqoqruds dHB1t1 Surreg3o'u8rsep :reql ur e1rl?AJesuor dlqrecqou aJe '>lJrd s.Jouorssrurtuo3 s.e,laello ur anbqd Surlsrxe ueJo (,uoll€JlpepeJ,, pu?.,tuauqsrqrnJer,, oqt ot uowppt u\'(L002 uI pele^un qloq) lsefl 1'tt4 Leg leqrunH EoluoroJ pur >lr?d depel5 s.relno3u?A ur tlnq (lruenbesqns setls parosuods-eltts atlt 'p?elsul 'pezllelrel€ru actlsnlleuILuIrJ aruesge eql seq Ierroruetu qrns ou'reira,u.oq'etep oa'uorlruSorer FIrIJlo put qloq;o ur sseJpeJJo sueeru e^rl€uJellr ur Surlaes oJa^\ saqrrug .sruIJ]IA eql 'ItlJorueru Fuoll?u e^ -ro3 lsanbo.r rreqt qtr.^a'paepul'petuesatde,r eq et?ls-uorttu aqlJo suezllrl ere.^ pe[DI esoq]Jo Aluottru eql ]?ql tlq eqt o1 tue,rou8r'sessol s71 roJ tuoururelo8 uerpul eqt ot seluelopuor slq perego 's8utgruoq eqt Jo arurt oLIt t€ retslulw eurrrd ,(euo-rp141 utug .(lSursserrtqug 6'souo pe^ol lleql Jo sqltep oI{1 Jo qlrurrag? oqt w ruoqt uoddns tou plp sertrroqtn? u?IptueJ qrlq^\ ur s/'e,u. eql SuilunoJer sreqrurur f,It--"J dq seruorurtsotJo suezop .^Aes gllq^\ (.,furnbur eql,, st o1 perreJor -regee:req) Z8I lqgllJ eipul IIV s8urpug rr{} ;o Surqruog erltJo uoqe8rlserrul oqt olur d:rrnbulJo uoISSIurtuoJ IeJepeJ lueler eqtSo ur petuerunlop-lle.{\ eJnlrg r-Lpe8r-rr e st s8urqruoq eTpul rIV aql p:t8er o1 ernllsJ ^\ou Fuolwu str ur ssruer ueeq otreqtlq p€q qllqr\\ tuaruu;erro8 u€Iptu?C eql Jo 1.rcd eql uo luatu8pel^aou>pe go etntse8 e eq pFo,^ . uorsnl3ur srr (perelaq trrqle 'ttql paureldxa eH 8'IelJorueur Ieuolltu e olul ,(lergrceds petetodtocur eq e8o1ce,ra eqt t?qt tsenber ot (VJAIV) uolwlrossvseIFutJ slmlll[elpul ,rq8rg esoq.r,r 'eldnC rrv oqt Jo Jl€qeq uo elods aqr uo perp erdng rW.^ArLrcU roqtolu Ieoqsns "'tno s€A\ /(.'lerrorueru e p?q a,4 srurJ sr tr perrref put pollold pue peuuElq [fe tr ereq^^ $ srgJ'petrur8uo eruu: eqt eroq,4 sr srqJ'rolnorue1ul erel{ elIS I?Irolueu € a tq Plnoqs e^\ Iuq] I.'.sI tl sr Surqt eloq^\ eqt-tr e^rsseJd ppor e,vr3r poo8 3q plno.^ tL,'petels Surqruoq eqt ur uIrs pueqsng req tsol oq.u'uopeyg zr^red 'lt?Iroruaur e uI pepnlrul eq ol rop-Io uI ep?ue-) uI ur?luer ot (rrpu1 ;rygo .&:ado;rd eqr pls) a8tlcel,u eqt roJ tlslA rlaqt pesse;dxa osp sreqlo g'I'peb€rl aqr eqt,,Suruuqsuo,,Jo Le.u p;e:sr,t pur In1ra. od lsoru 3q1 eq ppol!\ auqd eqrSo sererd peSrruep Surniese,rd'.u,er.t .raq ur'ltqt peppt eped s,.tl u1 selpoq 8ur.tq eqr ol suop eA€{ p[noa ]I leq^\ aur8rrut ot urfieq ue^e t,uplnoc tsnf l'paretwqs qlSue,ns slqt pue ezls slqtyo aueld e ees oJ"'lnoq? [€ s€A\ IlrY pu€ tuale srqt teqrr dtrll pcrsdqd e ur dleer IoeJ ol lo3 1 [ueq,u.] st,ra' srql,,'78 t rqSTI{ uo peqsr:ed rpurrg s-rerq8nep pu? nuqsr1pu€qsnq esoq,^ tp€d et€T petuatuurol ,,'eru ;o9,,'eb€>lrer.&\ eql .^AoI^ ol pelrnur eJe.l . slurl3rl arll Jo sJeqrueur dpue3 '.(e,u.-repun [I]s eJa-/\\ s]€IJl I?uIurIJl aql 0FIx\ 'l3A VII n5 works not only to shape interpretations of the historl' of the bombings, but also the choice of actions that are seen as available towards redressing or compensating for its iosses. Vloreover, a \,var on terror framing works to ensure that any recollection of the bombings not representable within the prioritized/privileged framework of "anti-terrorism" or "national securiry" is marginalized in terms of its circulation as public memory of this history.Take, for instance, the critical account of lJniversiry of Toronto Sociologist Sherene H. Razack. Razack was called to the stand as an expert witness during the inquiry in 2008 to comment on whether or not she thought systemic racism played a role in either the pre-bombing threat assessment or post-bombing response by the Canadian government and its policing and intelligence agencies. Razack testified that, indeed, she believed systemic racism played a role in both contexts, citing repeated instances where government officials, CSIS, RCMP, and Canadian airport authorities ignored, disbelieved, erased and lost cruciai evidence including warnings by the Indian government and Air India officials as well as surveillance tapes of the acquitted suspects.12"In a nutshell,"she explains,"systemic racism operates when all lives do not count the same and when those charged with protection are not inspired to do their best to ensure that no life was lost."13 Following her testimony, Razack was lambasted by Barry Brucker, counsel for the Attorney General of Canada, who did /ris best to undermine her credibiliry calling her opinion unfounded and superfuous to the mandate of the inquiry itself.laTellingly, Brucker's main objection was that "fher testimony] was going to form part of the public record."15 A second example of this exclusionary framing occurs as Prime Minister Stephen Harper, during his speech at the unveiling of theToronto memorial onJune 23,2007,the anniversary date of the bombings, declares this date henceforth the "National Day of Remembrance forVictims of Terrorism."16 His new dedication, ostensibly a gesture to acknowledge the Air India bombings as a Canadian tragedy, nevertheless removes any reference to it.
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