A new elementary school in California’s Central Unified School District officially opened its doors on Friday, June 27, marking a historic moment. The school is the first in the United States to be named after a Punjabi individual — Jaswant Singh Khalra, an Indian Sikh human rights activist who was abducted and killed in 1995 for speaking out against human rights violations in Punjab.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by community members, school officials, and the family of Jaswant Singh Khalra, including his wife and daughter.
The morning began with a cultural dance performance, and the atmosphere was filled with celebration and pride. As a gesture of respect, the Khalra family was presented with a key to the new school before leading the way inside for a tour led by the principal.
Set to open this fall, the school will serve over 600 students from transitional kindergarten to sixth grade. The students will be called the Royals and represented by the symbol of a lion, chosen to reflect values of courage, justice, and compassion—qualities that Jaswant Singh Khalra stood for.
Khalra’s daughter, Navkiran Kaur, who moved to Fresno in 2009 and graduated from Fresno State, expressed her gratitude, calling the city her home and acknowledging the recognition given to her father’s legacy.
Jaswant Singh Khalra was known for documenting the enforced disappearances and secret cremations of Sikh youths during the Punjab insurgency of the 1980s and 1990s.
He was kidnapped from his home in Amritsar and later killed, allegedly by Punjab Police officials. His widow, Paramjit Kaur, pursued justice, and the case led to the conviction of six policemen in 2005, a verdict later upheld by the Supreme Court.
In his memory, the Khalra Mission Organisation continues to work on human rights issues. The naming of the school serves as a tribute to his courage and lifelong dedication to justice.
