Paramjit Kaur Khalra is an Indian politician and human rights defender associated with the organization Khalra Mission, known for exposing the massacre of Sikhs in Punjab during and after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She is the widow of prominent Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Paramjit Kaur Khalra was born in 1954 (age 69 years; as of 2023), and was from Panj Grain Khurd village, Moga, Punjab. He studied Bachelor of Library Science from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. He obtained an MA in Punjabi from Punjabi University, Patiala in 1981. She was a member of the Samajwadi Students Union in her college.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 3″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His mother’s name is Gurbachan Kaur.
Paramjit Kaur Khalra with her mother Gurbachan Kaur
He has two sisters. He also had a younger brother, Gurbhajan Singh, who died on 5 July 1981 after falling from a tractor while working in the family fields. Gurbhajan was a student union leader in his college, where he became acquainted with the famous firebrand Jaswant. Singh Khalra. Gurbhajan was often called “Lamboo” because of his tall stature. Friends and family used to call him affectionately. Although Gurbhajan was eight years younger than Khalra, they grew close to each other and became friends. Gurbhajan used to talk lovingly about Jaswant and his activities at home. One day, he suggested that Paramjeet and Jaswant would make a wonderful couple. Paramjeet, who was studying at the time, refused to marry, saying that she wanted to pursue higher education. However, after Gurbhajan’s death, the family decides to honor his last wish of getting Paramjeet married to Jaswant.
husband and children
In 1981, Paramjit Kaur married Jaswant Singh Khalra. Paramjeet and Jaswant have two children, a son, Janmeet Singh, and a daughter, Navkiran Kaur.
-Jaswant Singh Khalra
Jaswant Singh Khalra with his children Janmeet Singh and Navkiran Kaur during a family holiday in 1992
Paramjit Kaur Khalra with her children Janmeet Singh and Navkiran Kaur during a family holiday in 1992
In 1985, the couple moved from Khalra to Amritsar, where Jaswant Singh took up the position of director of a bank. Following Operation Blue Star (1984) and the assassination of Indira Gandhi, a series of organized massacres against Sikhs inspired Jaswant to become a human rights activist. His investigation led to the discovery of 25,000 illegal killings and cremations by the Punjab Police in the 1980s and 90s. In 1995, he was kidnapped and murdered by the Punjab Police for exposing illegal killings and cremations in international forums. Navkiran Kaur works as a Senior Manager at Western Digital in Milpitas, California, United States. Since Khalra’s death, the family has been actively working with the Khalra Mission Committee to keep their father’s legacy alive by advocating for human rights.
From left to right, Navkiran Kaur, Paramjeet Kaur (holding Navkiran Kaur’s son), and Dalbir Singh (Navkiran Kaur’s husband)
Janmeet Singh Khalra, son of Jaswant Singh Khalra
Long legal battle to get justice for murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra
On 6 September 1995, Punjab Police abducted Jaswant Singh Khalra from his residence in Amritsar while he was washing his car. However, police officials denied that Khalra was arrested or detained. On 12 September 1995, Paramjit Kaur filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court of India, meanwhile, the police continued to deny Khalra’s arrest. In November 1995, the SC ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate Khalra’s disappearance. It was revealed that Punjab Police officials killed Khalra during illegal detention and dumped his body near Harike bridge on Sutlej river. Khalra’s murder trial took ten years. In 2005, six Punjab Police officers DSP Jaspal Singh, ASI Amarjeet Singh, SHO Satnam Singh, SHO Surinderpal Singh, SHO Jasbir Singh and head constable Prithvipal Singh were convicted in the kidnapping and murder of Khalra. While Jaspal Singh and Amarjeet Singh were sentenced to life imprisonment, the other four were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. Apart from the six sentenced by the court, the challan included Tarn Taran SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu, DSP Ashok Kumar and head constable Rashpal Singh. Sandhu was found dead on a railway track near Bakarpur village in 1997. Reportedly, Sandhu was murdered but it was ruled a suicide, while Ashok Kumar died due to illness. Rashpal Singh was later acquitted in the case. In 2007, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced the sentences of Satnam Singh, Surinderpal Singh, Jasbir Singh and Prithvipal Singh to life imprisonment. In November 2011, the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of the four accused against their life sentences and upheld the conviction and sentence. Apart from this, after the testimony of Kuldeep Singh in 2005, the name of DGP KPS Gill came up in this case. On 6 September 2006, Paramjeet filed a petition asking the High Court to investigate and prosecute KPS Gill for his role in the torture and murder of Khalra. However, KPS Gill died in 2017 without facing trial.
Religion
She follows Sikh religion.
Address
She lives in House No. 8, Kabir Park, Opposite Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
signature/autograph
Signature of Paramjit Kaur Khalra
livelihood
After her marriage, Paramjit lived with her husband in Khalra from 1981 to 1985, where she worked as a teacher in Puhala, a village near Tarn Taran. In 1985, Paramjit and Jaswant moved to Amritsar, where he got a job as a librarian at the Bhai Gurdas Library of Guru Nanak Dev University. After Khalra’s death, she became a human rights defender and began working with the Khalra Mission organization to bring justice to 25,000 unclaimed bodies and convict her husband’s killers. In 1999, he resigned from the post of librarian in GNDU to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Tarn Taran on the ticket of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD), a breakaway group from the Gurcharan Singh Tohra-led Shiromani Akali Dal; She lost the seat. In 2019, she contested the Khadur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency on a Punjab Unity Party ticket, but lost the seat. The winning candidate, Jasbir Singh Dimpa of Congress, got 4,59,710 votes, while Khalra got 2,14,489 votes.
Paramjit Kaur Khalra during a political campaign in 2019
property and properties
movable property
- Deposit in banks: Rs 2,40,000
- Motor vehicle: Rs 60,000
Note: The given estimate of movable assets is as per the financial year 2018-2019. It does not include movable property owned by her husband and dependents.
Immovable property
Paramjit Kaur’s affidavit for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections mentioned immovable property worth Rs 1,10,00,000 in the name of Jaswant Singh Khalra. This includes 3 acres of agricultural land at Khalra, valued at Rs 45,00,000, 1/2 share of 2700 sq ft non-agricultural land at Chheharta, valued at Rs 15,00,000, and 1/2 share of 2500 sq ft residential building. Is included. Price in Amritsar Rs 50,00,000.
net worth
His net worth in 2019 was Rs 1,13,10,000. This also includes her husband’s total assets.
Facts/General Knowledge
- In an interview, Paramjit Kaur said that she believes that Ajit Singh Sandhu, the accused in Khalra’s kidnapping and murder case, has not committed suicide. Instead, he was killed by KPS Gill and his group. Talking about this he said,
KPS Gill and the Government of India got two benefits by killing Ajit Singh Sandhu. Ajit Singh Sandhu was depressed because there were many cases against him and he started threatening KPS Gill that “If I am not acquitted from the cases I will tell the court who ordered me to kill innocent Sikhs and to whom ” Ordered that I had killed Jaswant Singh Khalra.”
Furthermore, she said,
Anyway some people also tell me that Ajit Singh Sandhu is still alive and is fooling the government and he had thrown the body under the train after killing someone. One man even told me that he had seen Ajit Singh Sandhu in Germany. I don’t believe in it, but police can’t be trusted, they can do anything.”
- Interestingly, SAD (Taksali) announced the withdrawal of its candidate from Khadur Sahib, former Army Chief General JJ Singh, to support the candidature of Paramjit Kaur during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This step was taken to ensure the defeat of Akali Dal and Congress by ensuring that the votes are not divided between Paramjeet and JJ Singh.
- In 2022, it was revealed that Diljit Dosanjh, a popular Punjabi singer and actor, was selected to portray Jaswant Singh Khalra in a biographical film. During the filming of Amristar, Diljit faced considerable criticism and opposition from protesters who claimed that he lacked the purity required for the role. They labeled him a “foreigner” and argued that he was too “Western” to portray the character. In March 2022, Paramjit Kaur announced on her social media handle that the Khalra family has officially given permission to director Honey Trehan to make the biopic. The screenshot of the post was later shared by Diljit Dosanjh on his Instagram handle.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn