September 25, 2025 (Washington, DC) — Last week, on September 18, the Sikh Coalition hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill titled “Revisiting Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra’s Work in an Era of Transnational Repression.”
To view the full recording of the briefing, click here.
We were grateful to the staff from more than 10 House and Senate Offices, along with representatives of allied organizations, who joined our program. During the discussion, panelists discussed the life and legacy of Sikh human rights defender Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra and the continued threat of transnational repression today.
We would like to thank Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who delivered opening remarks, as well as our esteemed panelists: Navkiran Kaur Khalra, Daughter of Jaswant Singh Khalra; Sukhman S. Dhami Executive Director, Ensaaf; Dr. Gunisha Kaur, Medical Director, Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights; and Dr. Stephen Schneck, Past Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Additionally, we greatly appreciate the staff of Congressman Swalwell’s office, who were instrumental in helping us secure and set up the room, as well as staff from Congressman Swalwell and Congressman Tom Suozzi’s (D-NY) offices who presented challenge coins to our panelists in honor of their work to defend human rights.
Outside of the briefing, the Sikh Coalition has commemorated the 30th anniversary of Bhai Khalra’s murder in several different ways. Over the summer, we released a toolkit for sangat members who want to pursue local-level resolutions to honor Bhai Khalra. On August 7, we hosted a virtual “teach-in” with four panel discussions and multiple advocacy ‘action items’ for attendees. And on Friday, September 19, our Federal Policy Manager Harjot Singh and State Policy Manager Gurvir Singh Sidhu attended “Bhai Khalra’s Legacy, Our Responsibility: A Forum for Action.” We are grateful to the Rutgers Sikh Student Association and United Sikh Movement for inviting us to discuss transnational repression at their event.
As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.