Jaswant Singh Khalra, Activist
Jaswant Singh Khalra (November 02, 1952 – September 06, 1995)
Early life and family legacy
Born in the village of Khalra in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, Jaswant Singh Khalra came from a lineage of activists – his grandfather Harnam Singh had fought in the Ghadar movement and was aboard the Komagata Maru in 1914. He graduated and later worked first as a panchayat secretary, then as a director of a cooperative bank in Amritsar.
Emerged as a human rights activist
Disturbed by widespread disappearances during Punjab's turbulent militancy era, Khalra began investigating the secret "competition" killings and illegal cremations of Sikh youth by the Punjab Police. They uncovered horrific statistics: thousands of unclaimed bodies, some reports cite 25,000 illegal cremations across the state – and even about 2,000 police officers killed internally for resisting.
Kidnapping and murder
On September 6, 1995, while washing his car in Amritsar, Khalra was abducted by plainclothes Punjab police officers. In the months that followed, petitions from his family and a CBI investigation revealed that he had been detained, tortured, killed and his body dumped in a canal.
Historic legal victory
In 2005, a Patiala court convicted six police officers for his kidnapping and murder, sentencing them to life imprisonment or seven years in prison. The Punjab and Haryana High Court (2007) and the Supreme Court of India (2011) upheld those convictions and sentences.
Legacy and lasting impact
Jaswant's courageous expose drew international condemnation, leading the United Nations and the NHRC to investigate human rights abuses in Punjab. At the urging of the global Sikh diaspora, cities such as Fresno (CA), Burnaby, Brampton and Westminster observe September 6 as "Jaswant Singh Khalra Day" and have named parks and, most recently, a school in his honour. His wife, Paramjit Kaur, continues her fight through the Khalra Mission Organization and the JSK Heritage Trust, advocating for justice in memory of the thousands of extrajudicial killings and unclaimed victims.
Cultural portrayal
A major biopic titled Punjab '95, starring Diljit Dosanjh, depicts Khalra's story. The production faced delays and cuts but is scheduled for a wide international release.
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