Statement from NDP Leader Jack Layton on remembering 1984

It is with great sorrow that I extend my sympathies on the 26th anniversary of the invasion of the Darbar Sahib complex, also known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, India.

The tragic events that unfolded over the course of those sweltering days in June, and the subsequent killings in November, have deeply hurt the Sikh community, both in India and abroad.

I stand in solidarity with the community and many Canadians across the country, in seeking justice. When innocent lives are lost with no accountability or explanation from the government, we have an obligation, as one democratic government to another, to ask why and seek honest answers for our citizens.

As we gather to remember June 1984, I remind Canadians that remembrance is the tie that binds us to our past – it guides us for the challenges of the future.

Lest we forget.