Ontario Sikh Community rejoices with the passing of the Jaswant Singh Khalra Resolution at NDP Convention

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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In what is deemed as a historic decision, NDP delegates passed a monumental resolution to recognize Jaswant Singh Khalra as an important defender of Human Rights in Montreal this past Sunday. The Ontario Gurudwara Committee (OGC) is in full support of this resolution and is grateful to all those who made this possible. 

OGC members were thrilled to learn that approximately to 2000 delegates gave MPP Jagmeet Singh a standing ovation as he spoke about the human rights work, life and sacrifice of Jaswant Singh Khalra to expose illegal deaths of thousands of young men at the hands of the Indian State. The OGC is also grateful to MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan, former NDP leadership candidate Martin Singh and NDP Human Rights Critic Wayne Marston for speaking in support of this resolution before the resolution was called to question. 

“Knowing that fellow Canadians listened, understood and supported this resolution with so much support is a moment of great pride for the community” says OGC spokesperson Amarjit Singh. “This means that all the work, life and sacrifice of Jaswant Singh Khalra have not gone in vain and this is a great honour to be able to give him, his loved ones and the pursuit of justice”.

Jaswant Singh Khalra spoke to Canadian Parliament in 1995 about his research and findings into the thousands of illegal deaths and cremations. It was after his visit to Canada that he was disappeared, tortured and extra-judicially killed when he returned to India.

Sukhwinder Singh from OGC said “Canada is known through out the world as a champion of human rights, freedom and justice. It was because of these values that Jaswant Singh chose to speak to the Canadian Government about what was happening in Punjab.  It’s incredible to have him recognized on such a large Canadian platform at the NDP convention”.

The Ontario Gurudwaras Committee (OGC) is an umbrella group representing over a dozen Gurudwaras in Southern Ontario, with a combined congregation of over 200,000