QUEEN’S PARK: Last week, Gurratan Singh, Member of Provincial Parliament from Brampton East, rose in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to remember Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist, who was disappeared and murdered 23 years ago.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was an activist who uncovered the secret killings of Sikhs in Punjab, India throughout the 1980s and 90s. He travelled to Canada to bring awareness to these human rights abuses, only to return to India to become disappeared and murdered himself.
“He challenged the darkness by uncovering the murders and disappearances of approximately 20,000 Sikhs throughout Punjab by the Indian state. He came to Canada to bring light to this injustice. On September 6, 1995, upon his return to India, he himself was picked up, disappeared and murdered by members of the state.”, stated Singh.
Gurrattan Singh also referenced Ensaaf, an organization which has continued the work of Jaswant Singh Khalra by documenting the disappearances of Sikhs in Punjab. Ensaaf has recently released their database which accounts for the murder of thousands of Sikhs.
Gurrattan Singh concluded his statement with a call to action, asking all to continue the pursuit for greater social justice and human rights,“In the month of September, let us not only remember this great soul but also let us commit to being that lamp that fearlessly challenges darkness and injustice in all of its forms.”