Personal information on disappeared human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Information could not be found on Khalra's date and place of birth, educational background, occupation, and the name of his father.

In 1995, India Today reported Khalra's age as 43 years (15 Dec. 1995, 53), whereas India Abroad stated he was 35 (24 Nov. 1995).

According to an Amnesty International 7 September 1995 Urgent Action, Khalra was arrested by police outside his home in Kabir Park, Amritsar, Punjab.

According to three sources, Paramjit Kaur is Khalra's wife (India Today 15 Dec. 1995, 53; ibid. 16 June 1997, 18; India Abroad 24 Nov. 1995, 30).

According to Khalsa Human Rights Newsletter, Rajinder Singh Sandhu is the brother of Khalra (Winter 1996). This document was accessed on the Internet on 23 January 1998 at the following address http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/ ev90495/news2.htm. According to its home page (http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/ town/square/ev90495/index.htm), Khalsa Human Rights "is an independent human rights organisation based in Leicester, UK, which [works] for human rights in India using letter writing, public meetings and publications."

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Amnesty International. 7 September 1995. Urgent Action: India: Jaswant Singh Khalra, Human Rights Activist. (AI Index: ASA 20/26/95). London: Amnesty International.

India Abroad [Toronto]. 24 November 1995. "Court Orders Probe in Alleged Cremations by Police."

India Today [Delhi]. 16 June 1997. Vol. 22, No. 12. Harinder Baweja, Ramesh Vinayak and Rohit Parihar. 'Punjab: Bitter Harvest: The Sharp Polarisation of Opinion on the Plight of Police Officers Under Judicial Scrutiny Reopens Old Wounds."

_____. 15 December 1995. Vol. 20, No. 23. Ramesh Vinayak. "J.S. Khalra: The Case of a Missing Activist."

Khalsa Human Rights Newsletter [Leicester, UK]. Winter 1996. "KHR Conference at Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre." [Internet] [Accessed 23 Jan. 1998]

The International Who's Who. Yearly. 1996, 1997.
Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. 1996.

Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Internet.

Oral sources.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact one oral source.