Why Fresno's new elementary school is named after a Sikh activist

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A caller simple schoolhouse successful Fresno volition beryllium named aft a subordinate of Sikh descent.

In a Central Unified Board of Trustees gathering connected Tuesday, the Board President, Naindeep Singh Chann gave immoderate accusation astir naming the caller schoolhouse aft Jaswant Singh Khalra.

Chann says during his tenure connected the committee they person had the accidental to sanction astatine slightest 2 schools. He says they privation to marque definite each voices are being seen and heard.

According to Chann, Khalra was a manager of a slope successful Punjab and backmost successful the aboriginal 90s immoderate of his colleagues stopped showing up to work.

Chann says Khalra past went to their houses to inquire what had happened to them and 1 of the mothers told him that her lad had been missing for a agelong play of time.

Khalra past started this travel to find retired what had happened to his friends. According to Chann, helium would spell to antithetic regions and different mothers would archer him what had happened to their sons.

Khalra recorded implicit 200 disappearances successful his region, helium past aboriginal recovered grounds that they were illegally cremated and killed by the police, according to Chann. Chann says the constabulary did not notify their families.

After, Chann says Khalra became a quality rights activistic and shared his enactment successful assorted countries. Chann says Kharla wanted to combat wrong the ineligible strategy determination and to marque definite those families had their voices heard.

Chann says Kharla was aboriginal killed by the authorities helium was trying to expose.

"For maine and for galore of our South Asian assemblage members and circumstantial benignant of Punjabi neighbors, he's perfectly is simply a idiosyncratic of admiration due to the fact that it's a communicative of loyalty, friendship, integrity, courageousness and principle," Chann said.

According to Chann, Khalra's girl attended Fresno State and his household resides successful the district.

Central Unified's Board Clerk, Nahbil Khefran says schools, parks, streets, and buildings are named aft assemblage members who are of large importance.

"With a section lens, we named schools aft those who near a large interaction successful our assemblage that reflects the diverseness of central," Khefran said. "They bespeak the champion of the cardinal assemblage and its diversity. The Sikh assemblage has contributed greatly to Central Unified and Jaswant Singh Khalra is an icon for our Punjabi neighbors."

The Board of Trustees approved the question 6-0 and 1 "obtaining" to sanction the schoolhouse connected Shields and Brawley aft Khalra.