by Sikh Research Institute
It has been thirty years since the torture and extrajudicial murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. During Panjab’s decade of darkness (1984-1995), Jaswant Singh witnessed the mass torture and forced disappearance of many Sikhs under the guise of counter-terrorism. Struck by the disappearances he witnessed, the trauma he saw so many endure, and the impunity with which the Punjab Police and the Indian State at large operated, he decided to act.
Jaswant Singh traveled from cremation ground to cremation ground, carefully documenting the number of Sikhs anonymously cremated, collecting evidence of the extent of the Punjab Police’s horrific actions. He exposed the machinery of the Punjab Police, who abducted, tortured, and killed Sikhs, cremating their remains, leaving them unknown to history, and leaving their families without closure. His work in exposing killings and cremations of tens of thousands of Sikhs was a painstaking and astronomical task that he did with love, conviction, and care.
This work was also dangerous, but he carried it out in Chardi Kala (Rising Power), drawing on a deep well of love and a commitment to truth and justice. In the spirit of generations of Shahids (Martyrs) who came before him, he willingly laid down his life, ‘disappeared’ by the Punjab Police, and not even his body was returned to his family.
No matter how powerful, overwhelming, and systemic the horrors of the world are, Jaswant Singh shows us that a single voice can awaken the world to the truth, lighting the long path toward justice. Jaswant Singh was and still is a light in the darkness—a person who insisted on bearing witness and speaking the truth, knowing full well the consequences.
In this dedication and conviction, in this fearlessness, he shines as an example of what it is to live with an unwavering sense of self-sovereignty, fueled by the inculcation of Divine qualities, and a deep desire to serve. He shines as an example of dignity and grace in the face of violent and systematic oppression.
Thirty years after his death, may we continue to be inspired by Jaswant Singh Khalra. May we continue to spread the light of justice he so bravely lit in the darkness of oppression and tyranny.
May we cultivate a sovereignty rooted in the eternal Sovereign.
May we be fearless.
May we be brave.
May we be full of grace.
May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!
