Abstract
Our dear colleague, Milan Singh, successfully defended her PHD dissertation on July 30, 2015. Here is the abstract of her dissertation “The Bombing of Air India Flight 182: Demanding Justice, Public Inquiries, and Acts of Citizenship”.
Highlights
School+of+Communication+ Simon+Fraser+University+ + Our+dear+colleague,+Milan+Singh,+successfully+defended+her+PHD+dissertation+on+July+30,+2015.+Here+ is+ the+ abstract+ of+ her+ dissertation+ “The+ Bombing+ of+ Air+ India+ Flight+ 182:+ Demanding+ Justice,+ Public+ Inquiries,+and+Acts+of+Citizenship”.+ + Abstract$ $ On+June+23,+1985+Air+India+Flight+182+exploded+over+the+Irish+sea,+killing+all+329+people+onboard+the+ aircraft.+ The+ attack+ was+ planned+ and+ executed+ on+ Canadian+ soil,+ and+ the+ majority+ of+ passengers+ were+Canadian+citizens.+Canadian+authorities+failed+to+effectively+investigate+the+bombing,+and+proY vide+families+of+the+victims+with+adequate+support+for+the+traumatic+losses+they+underwent+(Air+InY dia+Inquiry+Report,+2010).+This+is+despite+families’+repeatedly+demanding+the+Canadian+government+ for+ information,+ services,+ and+ a+ thorough+ criminal+ investigation+ into+ the+ bombings.+ Many+ families+ claimed+the+government+treated+them+like+“secondYrate”+citizens+and+questioned+whether+systemic+ racism+ was+ a+ factor+ in+ how+ the+ criminal+ investigation+ was+ handled+ (for+ example+ see+ Public+ HearY ings,+2006,+p.47).+
Like+other+racialized+Canadians+in+the+1980s,+families+of+Air+India+Flight+182+victims+mobilized+to+ demand+justice.+Arguing+that+the+bombings+were+a+“Canadian+issue”+they+pressured+the+government+ to+call+a+public+inquiry.+In+2005,+the+Canadian+government+announced+the+Official(Commission(of(InD quiry(into(the(Investigation(of(the(Bombing(of(Air(India(Flight(182,+which+ was+ mandated+ to+ examine+ the+ failures+ of+ the+ criminal+ investigation+ and+ provide+ recommendations+ to+ prevent+ future+ acts+ of+ terrorism+in+Canada.+In+2006,+the+Air+India+Inquiry+began+with+public+hearings+where+victims’+famiY lies+gave+testimonies+that+were+meant+to+help+understand+the+“human+element”+of+the+tragedy.+FamY ilies’+testimonies+were+transcribed+into+fourteen+volumes+with+over+1,000+pages+that+detailed+their+ grief,+the+impact+of+the+bombing+on+their+lives,+the+negligent+treatment+by+the+Canadian+government+ and+their+political+struggles+for+recognition+over+twenty+years.+
This+thesis+examines+families’+testimonies+and+triangulates+their+statements+with+media+reports+ and+ excerpts+ from+ the+ federal+ Hansard+ debates+ to+ (a)+ reconstruct+ the+ steps+ they+ took+ to+ demand+ justice,+and+(b)+examine+the+way+they+used+discourses+of+citizenship+to+demonstrate+how+their+govY ernment+ failed+ them.+ Using+ families’+ testimonies+ as+ evidence,+ this+ thesis+ challenges+ conventional+ definitions+ of+ multicultural+ citizenship,+ arguing+ that+ discourses+ of+ citizenship+ need+ to+ consider+ the+ agency+of+subjects+and+the+challenges+they+face+when+they+demand+justice.+This+thesis+draws+on+the+ concept+of+“acts+of+citizenship”+(Isin,+2009;+2012)+to+show+that+citizenship+needs+to+be+understood+ through+ the+ actions+ subjects+ take+ in+ their+ pursuit+ of+ justice.+ In+ Communication+ Studies,+ this+ thesis+ offers+a+new+approach+to+examining+public+inquiries+(Salter,+2007)+and+the+construction+of+identity+ in+ relation+ to+ racialization+ (Hall,+ 1990;+ Jiwani,+ 2006)+ by+ drawing+ on+ the+ scholarship+ of+ Bannerji+ (2000),+Dhamoon+(2009),+Isin+(2012),+Miki+(2004)+and+Nyers+(2004)+who+argue+that+current+modY els+of+citizenship+are+rooted+in+relations+of+exclusion.+ + Keywords+ The+bombing+of+Air+India+Flight+182;+public+inquiry;+acts+of+citizenship;+racialization;+Cultural+StudY ies;+mobilizing+for+justice;+“culture+of+redress”+
Summary
School+of+Communication+ Simon+Fraser+University+ + Our+dear+colleague,+Milan+Singh,+successfully+defended+her+PHD+dissertation+on+July+30,+2015.+Here+ is+ the+ abstract+ of+ her+ dissertation+ “The+ Bombing+ of+ Air+ India+ Flight+ 182:+ Demanding+ Justice,+ Public+ Inquiries,+and+Acts+of+Citizenship”.+ + Abstract$ $ On+June+23,+1985+Air+India+Flight+182+exploded+over+the+Irish+sea,+killing+all+329+people+onboard+the+ aircraft.+ The+ attack+ was+ planned+ and+ executed+ on+ Canadian+ soil,+ and+ the+ majority+ of+ passengers+ were+Canadian+citizens.+Canadian+authorities+failed+to+effectively+investigate+the+bombing,+and+proY vide+families+of+the+victims+with+adequate+support+for+the+traumatic+losses+they+underwent+(Air+InY dia+Inquiry+Report,+2010).+This+is+despite+families’+repeatedly+demanding+the+Canadian+government+ for+ information,+ services,+ and+ a+ thorough+ criminal+ investigation+ into+ the+ bombings.+ Many+ families+ claimed+the+government+treated+them+like+“secondYrate”+citizens+and+questioned+whether+systemic+ racism+ was+ a+ factor+ in+ how+ the+ criminal+ investigation+ was+ handled+ (for+ example+ see+ Public+ HearY ings,+2006,+p.47).+
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