Navkiran Kaur Khalra is an Indian human rights advocate focused on victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Punjab. She is the daughter of prominent Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Kalra.
Wiki/Biography
Navkiran Kaur Khalra was born in 1985 in Amritsar, Punjab (38 years old; as of 2023). Her ancestral home is Khalra. In 1995, when she was 10, her father was kidnapped and killed by the Punjab police. Since then, her family has been actively working with the Kalla Mission Council to continue her father’s legacy by advocating for human rights. The Khalra Mission Commission was set up by her father in 1995 to investigate extrajudicial killings by Punjab police during the 1984 anti-Sikh drive. Growing up in this environment, Navkiran also became involved in activism. She went to school in Amritsar, Punjab. Later, Navkiran moved to the United States to pursue higher education. In 2009, she moved to Fresno, California, where she earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Fresno (Fresno State). Navkiran actively represents the Sikh cause to Sikhs abroad, other communities and human rights defenders. She spoke actively about her father at various religious and cultural events.
Navkiran Kaur Khalra speaks at the 2018 Sikh Freedom Rally in San Francisco
Eventually, she began living in California, USA.
family
Parents and siblings
Navkiran Kaur’s father, Jaswant Singh Khalra, was a prominent Sikh human rights activist who investigated and highlighted the 1984 anti-Sikh 25,000 unclaimed (Sikh) bodies cremated by Punjab security forces during the Sikh riots. In 1995, he was kidnapped and killed by the Punjab Police led by KPS Gill for leaking evidence against the Punjab Police at an international forum.
Jaswant Singh Kalra
Navkiran’s mother Paramjit Kaur works as a librarian at the Guru Nanak Dev University Library in Amritsar. After Khalra’s death, she became a human rights defender and worked with the Khalra Mission Organization to seek justice for 25,000 unclaimed bodies and convict her husband’s killers. In 2019, she contested from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency on the ticket of Punjab People’s Party but lost the seat.
Paramjit Kaur, wife of Jaswant Singh Khalra
Her brother Janmeet Singh is married to Itinderjeet Kaur and has a daughter.
Janmeet Singh Khalra, son of Jaswant Singh Khalra
husband and children
In 2018, Navkiran Kaur married Dalbir Singh. Together they have a son.
Navkiran Kaur Khalra’s wedding day photos
From left to right: Navkiran Kaur, Paramjit Kaur (holding Navkiran Kaur’s son) and Dalbir Singh
religion
She believes in Sikhism.
Facts/Trivia
- She is an active supporter of Khalistani. In 2021, she posted a tweet celebrating the assassination of CM Beant Singh and praising Dilawar Singh Babbar for ending the massacre of Sikhs.
Navkiran Kaur Khalra’s tweet celebrates CM Beant Singh’s assassination and praises Dilawar Singh Babbar’s contribution in ending Sikh massacre in Punjab
- In 2022, it was announced that Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh will play Jaswant Singh Khalra in his biopic. Some people have since staged protests on the sets of the Khalra biopic against Diljit Dosanjh’s portrayal of the character, calling him “Videshi” and saying he has been westernized.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education