Where Did They All Go? Jaswant Singh Khalra Memorial Weekend

[misl shaheedan]

With Honor of Hosting Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra,

The Sikh Activist Network in association with The World Sikh Organization will be holding a 2 Day event to uncover and remember the story of Jaswant Singh Khalra and the disappearance/murders of thousands of Sikhs in Punjab.

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SCHEDULE

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DAY 1

September 11th, 1-6pm

Sheriden College (Room H131)

Limited to 100 spots, register asap, FREE EVENT

To Register Email: info@sikhactivist.net

The first day will be a youth event, with free admission. On this day, attendees will have the honor to meet with Jaswant Singh Khalra's wife and engage in a series of workshops including:

• Intimate discussion with Bibi Khalra
• Joining and working on SAN's first ever Graffiti Mural project
• Viewing of a Documentary Film on Torture in Punjab
• Discussing current human rights abuses in Punjab
• Meeting with those who witnessed torture by the Punjab Police

DAY 2

September 12th, 5-9pm

Dixie Gurughar, Hall #5

All are welcome

On the following day, The Sikh Activist Network, The World Sikh Organization, OntarioSikhs, SikhVibes and various other youth organizations will hold a Memorial Keertan in Memory of Jaswant Singh Khalra.

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What's the Story of Jaswant Singh Khalra?

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In the late 1990′s Amnesty International named Jaswant Singh Khalra one of their Human Rights Defenders to recognize the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. The acheivement, however was bitter-sweet.

The achievement highlighted Jaswant Singh Khalra's unveiling of evidence regardingthe thousands of illegal cremations/murders conducted by the Punjab Police in their cover-up to systematically target, torture and murder Punjabi Sikh Youth. In only 1 of 17 districts in Punjab, Jaswant Singh Khalra unravelled the Punjab Polices murder of approximately 3000 youth.

After the Indian Supreme Court rejected Jaswant Singh Khalra's effort to bring his evidence to court, stating that since the murders did not concern him directly he had no right to present them, he traveled the world to bring international attention to the issue. In June 1995, he spoke on Canadian Parliament and in September 1995, after receiving threats from the Punjab police upon his return to Punjab, Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted. It witness testimony it was later revealed that Jaswant Singh Khalra had been abducted by 4 Punjab Police officers on September 6th, kept in illegal custody and tortured until October 24th and murdered the same evening by the police, after being cut into pieces and thrown into the river Sutlej. Five police officers were eventually sentenced to life in prison for his abduction and murder, but the chief architects of systematic killings, including former Punjab Police Chief KP Gill, remain free.

Even after receiving threats stating that if he did not stop his work, that he too would become an unidentified body from the Punjab Police, Jaswant Singh Khalra remained dedicated. On the 15 year Anniversary of his Disappearance and Murder, we salute his great soul.

[Pyara]

This looks like a really beneficial workshop. Please share some of the discussions with us UKwalay, especially the discussions with Bibi Ji.

Thanks