Richmond Hill, New York, October 17, 2026: A candlelight vigil dedicated to the memory and martyrdom of Bhai Parvinder Singh Khalsa, also known as ‘Jhota’, who sacrificed his life after raising his voice for a long time to save Punjab’s youth from drugs, was held in the Richmond Hill area of New York. Representatives of various gurdwara management committees, Panthic organizations and Sikh congregations participated in the event, paid tribute to Parvinder Singh Khalsa and expressed sympathy with his family.
The event was organized by Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society Richmond Hill, Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast, and Sikh Council of New York. Speakers said that many young people are losing their lives due to the drug problem in Punjab and families are being destroyed. They said that the Punjab and central governments have failed to fulfill their responsibility and have completely failed to curb the drug trade and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the youth.
Expressing deep sympathy with Parvinder Singh Jhota’s two young children and family, the speakers said that concrete steps must be taken for the safety of young people active on Punjab’s social and religious issues. They also stressed the need for an impartial investigation into Parvinder Singh’s case and strict legal action against those responsible, along with major drug traffickers and those providing them political patronage. They appealed to people to continue the struggle for this.
Some speakers raised questions about the case related to Ashwani Kumar and the issuance of arms licences to him. They said that several cases had already been registered against him. The speakers demanded an investigation into the entire matter and asked that the process through which the licences were issued, as well as the role of the responsible officials, be made public.
S. Jatinder Singh Boparai, chief sevadar of the Sikh Cultural Society, shared his views. New York City Human Rights Commissioner and patron of the Sikh Cultural Society, S. Gurdev Singh Kang, also paid tribute. S. Harbans Singh Dhillon also shared his views. S. Himmat Singh, coordinator of the World Sikh Parliament and Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast, assured that every possible form of support would be extended to the family. Himmat Singh appealed to Sikhs living in Punjab and abroad to support Parvinder Singh’s family and the ongoing struggle in every possible way.
Paying tribute, S. Jatinder Singh Boparai said that the work done by Parvinder Singh Khalsa to save the youth of Punjab from drugs would always be remembered. He said that due to the spread of drugs, children and young people in Punjab were losing their precious lives and governments had failed to stop the problem. Parvinder Singh Jhota sacrificed his life while fighting against drugs. He urged the youth to stay away from drugs and to always remember the warriors who were martyred while struggling for Punjab.
S. Gurdev Singh Kang said that the deaths of mothers’ sons in Punjab should be investigated impartially. He said that regardless of which religion a family belongs to, the loss of a child’s life to drugs is unbearable for every family. Referring to the courage and high spirits of Parvinder Singh’s father, S. Bhim Singh Fauji, he said that his words were: “My son attained martyrdom while saving the sons of others.” S. Kang said that it is very important to continue the work against drugs started by Parvinder Singh.
S. Himmat Singh said that the spread of drugs in Punjab had continued during previous governments as well. He said that the drug problem had also increased during the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal government, while Captain Amarinder Singh had taken an oath while holding Gutka Sahib to eliminate drugs, but the drug trade continued during his rule too. He said that the present Bhagwant Mann government has also failed to stop drugs. S. Himmat Singh said that these issues can only be resolved through Punjab’s independence and the attainment of Khalistan, and that the entire community should speak in one voice for freedom.
S. Harbans Singh Dhillon said that governments should fulfill their responsibility to stop the sale of drugs and take strict steps in this matter. He stressed the need for action against those involved in the drug trade and those providing patronage to it.
Among the speakers and attendees were S. Surjit Singh Kular, president of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar; S. Rajinder Singh, president of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur International; Harminder Singh Ahluwalia from the World Sikh Parliament; Bibi Rajwinder Kaur (Dr. Rose); Bibi Ramandeep Kaur; S. Sandeep Singh; S. Buta Singh Cheema; S. Avtar Singh Brahma; S. Jinder Singh, president of Gurdwara Sikh Center of New York; Parvinder Singh Billa from Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha Support Club New York; S. Japneet Singh; S. Balwinder Singh Gurdaspur; and Amar Singh Gulshan, along with representatives of various organizations.
S. Surjit Singh Kular also paid tribute to Parvinder Singh Khalsa and expressed sympathy with the family. Speaking about Punjab’s rights and freedom, he said that the sacrifices of the warriors martyred in Punjab’s struggle should always be remembered.
The speakers remembered Parvinder Singh Khalsa (Jhota) as a young man who raised his voice for Punjab’s rights and social issues. Referring to the loss of Sandeep Nangal Ambian, Sidhu Moosewala and Deep Sidhu, they said that Punjab had suffered an irreparable loss by losing its active and prominent young people.
Following the candlelight vigil, Bhai Gagandeep Singh offered Ardas for the Chardi Kala of S. Parvinder Singh Khalsa and his family, and for an end to what was described as the genocide being carried out on the land of Punjab through drugs. A large number of members of the Sangat, particularly youth, participated in the programme. Various speakers and young participants enthusiastically raised slogans including, “We will firmly uphold the thinking of Bhai Parvinder Singh,” along with slogans dedicated to all martyrs.
