Fresno, California (USA): An elementary school in the city of Fresno has been named in honor of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a renowned human rights defender from Punjab, India. A special ceremony to mark the occasion was held on June 26, 2025, attended by members of Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra’s family, the local Sikh community, and residents of the city.
“A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning around 9:00 a.m., at the new campus located at 4061 W. Fountain Way in Fresno”, reported Fox26News.
“This is more than just the opening of a school—it’s a celebration of inclusion, justice, and the values that bring communities together,” the district said in a statement, as noted by Fox26News.
Jaswant Singh Khalra is remembered for his courageous efforts to unearth the systematic, organized, and widespread campaign of enforced disappearances of Sikhs in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s. Investigating what the Indian police had labelled as “unclaimed and unidentified” dead bodies, Jaswant Singh Khalra uncovered compelling evidence showing that thousands of these bodies were, in fact, those of Sikh men who had been illegally detained, tortured, and killed by Indian security forces.
Through his meticulous research, Jaswant Singh Khalra estimated that over 25,000 Sikh youth were subjected to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. After presenting this evidence, he received chilling threats from the police—one of which ominously warned that if they could account for 25,000, they could account for 25,001 as well.
On September 6, 1995, Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted from his home in the Kabir Park area of Amritsar by the Punjab police. He was tortured and killed while in illegal custody. His martyrdom brought global attention to human rights violations in Punjab and laid the foundation for continued investigations by international rights organizations into crimes against humanity committed during that period.
The naming of Jaswant Singh Khalra Elementary School in Fresno marks the first time a school in the United States has been named in his honor. The gesture not only pays tribute to his legacy but also serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for human rights and justice.
