Janmeet Singh Khalra is a Calgary-based human rights defender. He is the son of prominent Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Janmeet Singh Khalra was born on Wednesday, 1 July 1987 (age 36 years; as of 2023) in Amritsar, Punjab. His zodiac sign is Cancer.
Childhood picture of Janmeet Singh Khalra (centre) with his mother and sister and his father’s portrait in the background
When Janmeet was 8 years old, his father was abducted and killed by Punjab Police after he garnered global attention for highlighting 25,000 illegal killings and cremations by the Punjab Police during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Since then, the Khalra family has been actively working with Khalra Mission Committee to keep Jaswant Singh’s legacy alive by advocating for human rights. Growing up in such an environment embedded activism in Janmeet as well. He did schooling in Amritsar. He actively represents the Sikh cause to the Sikh Diaspora and other communities and speaks about his father at various religious and cultural events.
Janmeet Singh Khalra speaking about his father at an event
Later, he moved to Calgary, Canada.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′ 1″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Janmeet Singh Khalra (second from left)
Family
Parents & Siblings
Janmeet Singh’s father, Jaswant Singh Khalra, was a notable Sikh Human rights activist who investigated and highlighted the illegal killings and cremations by the Punjab Police during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He was abducted and killed in 1995 for disclosing illegal killings and cremations by the Punjab Police on international forums.
Jaswant Singh Khalra with his children, Janmeet Singh and Navkiran Kaur during a family vacation in 1992
His mother, Paramjit Kaur, is a human rights defender and politician. She worked as a librarian in the library of the Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar till 1999. After Khalra’s death, she became a human rights defender and worked with Khalra Mission Organization to get justice for 25,000 unclaimed bodies and to convict the murderers of her husband.
Jaswant Singh Khalra’s wife, Paramjit Kaur
Paramjit Kaur Khalra with her children, Janmeet Singh and Navkiran Kaur during a family vacation in 1992
His sister, Navkiran Kaur Khalra, is also a human rights advocate associated with the Khalra Mission Organization which mainly highlights the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Punjab. In 2018, Navkiran Kaur got married to Dalbir Singh. Together, they have a son.
From left to right, Navkiran Kaur, Paramjit Kaur (holding Navkiran Kaur’s son), and Dalbir Singh
Wife & Children
Janmeet Singh is married to Itinderjeet Kaur. Together, they have a daughter.
Religion
He follows Sikhism.
Facts/Trivia
- Janmeet comes from a family known for its legacy of activism and the zeal to fight against social injustice. Janmeet’s ancestor Sura Singh fought alongside the Sikh warrior, Banda Singh Bahadur, who was the commander of the Khalsa army. His great-great-grandfather, Harnam Singh, was a passenger on the ship Komagata Maru (also called Guru Nanak Jahaz) along with Baba Gurdit Singh, who challenged the British and Canadian exclusion laws that prevented Punjabis from immigrating to Canada.
Baba Gurdit Singh and others on the Guru Nanak Jahaz (Komagata Maru) in Vancouver harbour
Out of the 376 passengers on the ship, only 24 were admitted to Canada. The rest were forced to return to India. Upon the ship’s arrival in India, Harnam Singh was arrested and jailed in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. After completing his sentence Harnam Singh went to Shanghai, China, where he was involved in the revolutionary activities of the Ghadar Party.
- In 2022, it was announced that Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh would portray Jaswant Singh Khalra in his biopic. After that, several people staged protests on the film sets of Khalra’s biopic objecting to Diljit Dosanjh’s portrayal of the character calling him “Videshi” and citing that he was too “westernised.”
