Relatives Angered by Federal Air India Offer

[Hvergelmir]

Originally Posted by By KIM BOLAN, Postmedia News; Vancouver Sun July 9, 2011

Families of victims of 1985 crash say they feel hurt and insulted

Relatives of the victims of the Air India tragedy say they are hurt and insulted by a federal government offer to pay $24,000 for each person killed in the June 1985 terrorist attack.

The offer of a one-time ex gratia payment was made at a meeting in Toronto Thursday attended in person and via teleconference by about 40 family members of the 329 bombing victims. Most of the families settled their legal claims for compensation in the early 1990s, according to a government spokesman.

An ex gratia payment is given where no legal obligation exists.

"We are just seething," said Anil Singh Hanse, an Australian whose father Narendra piloted the flight that was brought down by a B.C.made bomb. "This is insulting. Where the hell did they pull this figure from?"

Retired judge John Major suggested some form of payment be made to families in his Air India inquiry report in June 2010, although he made no official recommendation. The $32-million inquiry showed that numerous warning signs of the pending terrorist attack were missed by Canada's security agency and that missteps hampered the subsequent RCMP investigation.

Major also said the families were treated with "administrative disdain" for years by the Canadian government and deserved more than just an apology.

While Hanse said he has been fighting for justice and not cash, the amount offered this week offended him.

"Now we know about all the negligence that came out in the report," Hanse said Friday. "This is absolutely disgraceful. It is one step forward, two steps back."

Amarjit Bhinder, whose co-pilot husband Satinder perished, was also offended by the government's offer. "This is really an insult to my husband," Bhinder said from Singapore. "That would have been about 45 days pay for him." She said she is going to decline the money on principle.

I'd totally be worried about money, and not the fact my spouse died too. We all know money is the most important thing.


http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/...235/story.html

[**butterflylove**]

Isn't $24,000 like 20 years worth of wage for them?
But seriously, what kind of price do you put on someone's life? do you account for inflation, I mean it was 26 years ago etc etc

[Blewvane]

They could have been left with nothing, the government has given them enough to provide a lavish funeral. This should not be treated like a fucking lottery, people died.
The money grubbing cock suckers thought they were entitled to a payoff? I'll pay you off, suck my dickcheese and keep the change you greedy cunts.