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Small stories with huge headlines

Sonia Chopra in Vancouver

The 14-year-old investigation of the bloodiest terrorist attack in aviation history -- the mid-air explosion of Air-India Flight 182 -- which was expected to conclude this month continues, and there is no indication the investigation that has cost over $ 10 million will end soon.

There is speculation that an embezzlement trial of Satnam Kaur Reyat, the wife of Inderjit Singh Reyat, who is serving a sentence for a related explosion at Narita airport 14 years ago, could lead to information about her husband's alleged role in the mid-air explosion.

Over a dozen people -- those connected to the victims of the crash, neutral community leaders and the radicals -- interviewed for this story believe that ultimately nothing will come out of the 14-year-old investigation.

"This is too complicated an issue and everyone, from the Indian government to Sikh radicals to the Canadian government, has something frightening to hide," said a Vancouver businessman who asked for anonymity.

In the past several weeks, there have been reports in the media and intense speculation in the community that the investigators were ready to make the arrests.

Kim Bolan, a reporter who has been covering Sikh stories for the Vancouver publications, had said she had asked for police protection a month ago after receiving threats from the hardliners. "There are going to be major developments soon in the Air-India investigation, and there is a lot of anger at the media for writing about it," she said.

Dave Sukhdip Hayer, the son of slain publisher Tara Singh Hayer, also expected definite developments. He told Rediff On The NeT last week that once the arrests were made in the Air-India explosion case, the names of those who killed his father would also be revealed.

Flight 182, which was en route to India via England, went down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing 329 passengers -- 125 of whom were under the age of 21. Only 131 bodies have ever been recovered.

A second explosion, moments before at Narita airport in Tokyo, killed two people. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are convinced that the two are connected.

After several months of working on the police files, the legal team announced this week its decision to hire more lawyers, although they have already missed their deadline for doubling the size of the team.

Hayer echoes the feelings of the victims' families when he says many witnesses are afraid to testify against the hardliners, making it difficult for the authorities to frame the charges. "They (potential witnesses) are afraid not only of what could happen to them in Canada but also to their families in India," he said.

Officials would not comment on Hayer's fears. Don J Schneider, an investigator on the Air-India Task Force, said he was "hopeful and optimistic that charges will be filed soon and the families of the victims would have closure," but referred other questions to a media liaison, who did not immediately return calls.

It has been over 14 months since RCMP Inspector G D Bass, of the Air-India Task Force, had said that the police were going to in the following months recommend charges against Inderjit Singh Reyat and others for the murder of 329 people. But that has not happened.

Reyat, who lived near Vancouver, was convicted for manslaughter and possession of explosives in the Japan bombing incident and is serving the final two years of his ten-year sentence.

Schneider said on Tuesday that the burden of assessing 14 years of police work is a big task. There is no deadline mentioned for the conclusion yet, he said.

Meanwhile, Reyat's wife, Satnam Kaur Reyat, could face a trial in the middle of June. She has been charged of illegally collecting more than $ 100,000 (Canadian) in welfare benefits.

The welfare fraud case is the largest of its kind and is being closely watched by the advocates and critics, both within and outside the Sikh community.

The hardliners believe that Satnam Kaur was framed by the authorities, hoping her to name the conspirators in the Air-India case

Satnam Kaur did not wish to comment on the case and a woman, who described herself as being a close family friend, referred questions to her attorney Kuldip Chagger.

The woman said that, "the whole thing was a nightmare and very traumatic," but Kaur was "trying very hard to keep her spirits up." She said "some people in the community were very kind," without any elaboration or giving out the names.

Chagger reiterated that his client was "innocent", that she is "holding up well" and that "the truth will be out eventually," adding that the next court date was set for June 11.

Meanwhile, the families of the victims awaiting closure are neither optimistic nor pessimistic, said spokesperson Bal Gupta. He explained that after years of false hopes that charges would be filed, the families now listen to the new information and "take it at face value."

However, some like community activist Suresh Kurl are unabashed at expressing their feelings of anger, outrage and frustration. Kurl, whose close friend lost his wife and two small children in the bombing, said he is "simply angry with the delay and the inertia."

"Years later, I am still angry but I just got better at living with it. I am frustrated with the investigation, with the little stories that just keep trickling in with large headlines, screaming, 'investigation almost concluded,' " Kurl said.

Hayer said the longer the Air-India case is dragged, the stronger the hardliners become. He also said that the hardliners, who, he alleged have provoked many violent disputes in gurdwaras over religious rituals and finances, also use the mainstream Liberal, Reform and NDP politicians to promote their standing in the Sikh community.

"By posing with the political leaders, they give the community the impression that they are immune to prosecution, it suggests they have close links," he said.

However, Prem Vinning, a businessman and a prominent Liberal Party supporter, disagrees and dismisses any links between those controversial in the Sikh community and the Air India suspects.

"Give me a break, everything in life is not about 'Air-India' Everything can't possibly revolve around that," said Vinning, who quickly added that, he "feels for the families of the victims and so do ninety-nine per cent of the community."

" 'Air-India' is a black cloud hanging over the entire community and even the most devout conservative Sikhs have called for a royal commission into the tragedy," he remarked.

Gurpreet Singh Jouhal, a businessman and a spokesperson for the conservative Sikhs, backs Vinning's view. "We are sick and fed-up of 'Air-India'. We are tired of the stereotyping. Every community has its bad apples. We don't condone the actions of the suspects. If they are found in our circle, we too, will shun them," said Jouhal.

Jouhal said that conservative Sikhs wish to practice their religion without being tied up with community politics. "These doubts, this speculation and especially this holding of the entire Sikh community hostage has got to stop," he said.

Arthur J Pais contributed to this story in Vancouver.

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