India-origin professor who lost family in Kanishka attack awarded top Canadian honour

Mahesh Chandra Sharma, an India-born professor who lost four family members in the 1985 Kanishka bombing, has been awarded one of Canada’s highest civilian honours, the Order of Canada, according to the Governor General of Canada’s website.

Among the 329 lives lost in the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history were Sharma’s wife, two daughters, and mother-in-law, who died when Air India Flight 182 was bombed.

According to the official citation for the Order of Canada, Sharma is recognised as a civic-minded philanthropist and leader. 

He is a professor and mentor at Concordia University, who established scholarships to honour the memory of his family members who were victims of the tragedy. 

He also actively champions social causes supporting vulnerable individuals and the wider community.

The honours list also includes Saroj Saigal, an Indian-Canadian based in Hamilton, Ontario, who was also appointed to the Order of Canada. 

Saigal is internationally renowned in the field of neonatology, recognised as the first researcher to examine the lives of extremely premature infants from a qualitative perspective. Her humanistic approach has shifted attitudes towards preterm infants and increased understanding of their long-term outcomes.

The Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours, recognising outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation.