“I Challenge the Darkness”: From TIFF to the Classroom, Khalra’s Light Refuses to Go Out
Jaswant Singh Khalra told a story before he was silenced. Now, we must carry its light.
Before Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted and murdered in 1995 for uncovering the extrajudicial killings of thousands of Sikhs in Punjab, he shared a Punjabi folktale.
I’ve turned to that story many times when hope felt fragile, when truth was under siege, and when the night seemed too long. And I turned to it again in 2023, standing outside a theatre at the Toronto International Film Festival—waiting to see Punjab ’95.
The film never screened. Not because it wasn’t ready, but because it wasn’t allowed.
“There is an old tale about when the sun was first setting...” Khalra once said.
As the sun neared the horizon, light faded, and darkness crept in. People were afraid: Would this be the end of light? Would darkness rule forever?
But in a tiny hut, far across the land, a small lantern lifted its wick and said, “I challenge the darkness. In my small corner, I will not let it settle.”
One by one, others lifted their wicks. Lanterns glowed across the land. The darkness could not win.
Khalra didn’t just tell this story—he lived it. He exposed the mass disappearance and secret cremation of over 25,000 Sikhs during Punjab’s insurgency. For this, he was abducted in broad daylight. His body was never recovered. But his light refuses to go out.
In 2023, I travelled to TIFF with one purpose: to see Punjab ’95, a film that finally told Khalra’s story. It was officially selected. There was buzz. There was anticipation. But then, at the last minute, it vanished from the program. Quietly.
We later learned why: political pressure from the Indian government. TIFF, a major international festival, had been forced to step back. Even they were not immune.
The same pressure continues today. After making over 20 cuts demanded by Indian censors—including renaming the protagonist, deleting scenes about police atrocities, and removing references to the national flag—filmmakers were hit with 100 more cuts. The film, now in legal limbo, remains unreleased in India.
This is not an artistic debate. This is authoritarian fear. It’s not about sensitivity—it’s about silence.
And it’s working.
I still haven’t seen Punjab ’95. Not because it doesn’t exist, but because too many powers want it not to.
A Living Legacy: The Jaswant Singh Khalra Khalsa School
But darkness is not going unanswered. In Brampton, Ontario, a school is being built—brick by brick, value by value—around the spirit of Khalra’s message.
The Jaswant Singh Khalra Khalsa School, opening its doors in September 2025, is more than an academic institution—it’s a sanctuary of conscience. Named in honour of the man who stood against state violence with only truth as his shield, the school’s mission is to cultivate ethical, confident, and future-ready Sikh leaders.
“We challenge the darkness,” reads their founding ethos.
“If nothing else, then at least around ourselves—we will not let it settle.”
Here, education goes hand-in-hand with spiritual and cultural grounding. Students will engage in:
Mandatory trilingual learning in Punjabi, English, and French
Daily Path and Gurbani, alongside Kavishri, Tanti Saaj, Keertan & Shastar Vidhya
AI and coding from Grade 3, proving modern education can go hand-in-hand with Sikh tradition
A leadership development program rooted in Khalra’s legacy of integrity, courage, and service
And it’s not just about curriculum. It’s about identity. Pride. Dastar. Bana. Speaking the truth in public. These children are not just being taught to pass tests—they’re being raised to stand up, even when it costs something.
In The Valiant: Jaswant Singh Khalra, author Gurmeet Kaur captures the same message as Khalra’s lantern tale: justice begins with one person willing to speak.
That’s what this film was meant to do. And that’s what this moment calls us to do, too.
The question is not whether darkness will come. It always does.
The question is: what will we do when it does?
A CALL TO ACTION
Demand an international, uncut release of Punjab ’95 — email distributors, tag festivals, and amplify the filmmakers' voices.
Share this story. Share the folktale. Share the truth of Jaswant Singh Khalra.
And if you work in media, education, or programming, consider hosting a private screening or teach-in to keep the light alive.
Let this be more than just a story remembered.
Let it be a spark passed on.
So now I ask you, just as Khalra asked us all:
How might you shine your light?
What will you do to challenge the darkness?