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Rename Stonecreek Park to Jaswant Singh Khalra Park

In honoring Honoring Human Rights and Emerging Communities in Bakersfield, we propose changing the name of Stonecreek Park to Jaswant Singh Khalra Park.

Rename Stonecreek Park to Jaswant Singh Khalra Park and honor Bakersfield's Sikh community and the entire region in honor of human rights.

Southwest Bakersfield is a hub for many old and new park.pngresidents. Stonecreek Park is a neighborhood hub bringing together diverse populations of the city, especially residents of both Ward 1 and Ward 7.  Named after an early housing development, the "Stonecreek Park” name is not in sync with the changing demographics of the city. 

Jaswant Singh Khalra (1952-1995) was a human rights activist from Punjab (India).  When Punjab entered a dark period during the 1990s, Jaswant Singh made a vow to the families of his colleagues that had been unjustly killed to discover the truth.  He advocated for human rights and traveled to Canada, UK, and the US to tell the world what was happening.  He knew that his life was in danger due to his actions, but he was fearless.  Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other international human rights organizations have recognized his work. In September 1995, the same forces that had killed so many innocents, picked him up from his home, tortured him, and murdered him with impunity.

The City of Bakersfield has recognized and acknowledges the atrocities of the 1984 Genocide in passing A Resolution of the Council of the City of Bakersfield, commemorating the November 1984 violence in India as Sikh genocide.  The City of Bakersfield has acknowledged that more than 35,000 Sikhs live and work in the City of Bakersfield and the surrounding areas, making vital contributions to the well-being of our community, acknowledging the violence against the Sikhs continued unabated for several days in more than 100 cities across India resulting in over 30,000 Sikhs killed, acknowledging in 2011, a mass grave of Sikhs was unearthed in the village of Hondh-Chillar, state of Haryana, which was followed by the discovery of other mass graves, ruined villages, burnt Gurdwaras and other traces of Sikh population annihilation during November 1984, acknowledging it is important to the Bakersfield community that we acknowledge such history in order to declare such acts atrocious, voice our hope that those responsible are punished, and express appropriate sympathy so that history does not repeat itself. 

In honoring someone who has been coined like the Martin Luther King Jr. of the Sikh community, we seek to honor the legacy ofjsk2.png Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra in renaming Stonecreek Park. With the success seen and community togetherness felt in Fresno, CA we seek to carry on Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra's legacy - the legacy of this individual reflects his dedication to human rights and the Sikh community. As an MLK Jr. park exists in communities across our nation, we seek to emulate this honoring of Human Rights and its advocates. In recognizing the City of Bakersfield and its residents, Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life is a symbol of hope for all that care about human rights, dignity, truth, and justice.  Naming a park in his honor preserves that legacy and celebrates the values that all of Bakersfield's residents hold high.  The Punjabi community is nearly unanimous in desiring this and we believe that all residents in Bakersfield would be honored upon learning of his history. 

Sign your name and stand in solidarity with the Sikh community in Bakersfield in renaming this park.  Thank you!  Please share widely!

Will you sign?

Rename Stonecreek Park to Jaswant Singh Khalra Park and honor Bakersfield's Sikh community and the entire region in honor of human rights.

Southwest Bakersfield is a hub for many old and new park.pngresidents. Stonecreek Park is a neighborhood hub bringing together diverse populations of the city, especially residents of both Ward 1 and Ward 7.  Named after an early housing development, the "Stonecreek Park” name is not in sync with the changing demographics of the city. 

Jaswant Singh Khalra (1952-1995) was a human rights activist from Punjab (India).  When Punjab entered a dark period during the 1990s, Jaswant Singh made a vow to the families of his colleagues that had been unjustly killed to discover the truth.  He advocated for human rights and traveled to Canada, UK, and the US to tell the world what was happening.  He knew that his life was in danger due to his actions, but he was fearless.  Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other international human rights organizations have recognized his work. In September 1995, the same forces that had killed so many innocents, picked him up from his home, tortured him, and murdered him with impunity.

The City of Bakersfield has recognized and acknowledges the atrocities of the 1984 Genocide in passing A Resolution of the Council of the City of Bakersfield, commemorating the November 1984 violence in India as Sikh genocide.  The City of Bakersfield has acknowledged that more than 35,000 Sikhs live and work in the City of Bakersfield and the surrounding areas, making vital contributions to the well-being of our community, acknowledging the violence against the Sikhs continued unabated for several days in more than 100 cities across India resulting in over 30,000 Sikhs killed, acknowledging in 2011, a mass grave of Sikhs was unearthed in the village of Hondh-Chillar, state of Haryana, which was followed by the discovery of other mass graves, ruined villages, burnt Gurdwaras and other traces of Sikh population annihilation during November 1984, acknowledging it is important to the Bakersfield community that we acknowledge such history in order to declare such acts atrocious, voice our hope that those responsible are punished, and express appropriate sympathy so that history does not repeat itself. 

In honoring someone who has been coined like the Martin Luther King Jr. of the Sikh community, we seek to honor the legacy ofjsk2.png Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra in renaming Stonecreek Park. With the success seen and community togetherness felt in Fresno, CA we seek to carry on Shaheed Jaswant Singh Khalra's legacy - the legacy of this individual reflects his dedication to human rights and the Sikh community. As an MLK Jr. park exists in communities across our nation, we seek to emulate this honoring of Human Rights and its advocates. In recognizing the City of Bakersfield and its residents, Jaswant Singh Khalra’s life is a symbol of hope for all that care about human rights, dignity, truth, and justice.  Naming a park in his honor preserves that legacy and celebrates the values that all of Bakersfield's residents hold high.  The Punjabi community is nearly unanimous in desiring this and we believe that all residents in Bakersfield would be honored upon learning of his history. 

Sign your name and stand in solidarity with the Sikh community in Bakersfield in renaming this park.  Thank you!  Please share widely!

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Showing 374 reactions

  • Simranjeet Shergill
    signed 2018-03-29 15:19:39 -0700
  • Gurvinder singh
    signed 2018-03-28 16:51:01 -0700
  • Devinder Singh
    signed 2018-03-28 16:38:50 -0700
  • Sue Brewer
    signed 2018-03-28 16:19:34 -0700
    Wonderful initiative. It could not be named after a more honorable hero! Great to see community groups enthusiastically using the parks in their neighborhood. There are so many benefits that can come from this. Not just for the Sikh community, but for the neighborhood, and ultimately the whole city. Anything that encourages healthy communities to be active together, promotes strong families within those communities and strong individuals within those families. It inspires others to be active, to be curious. The stronger the individuals and more connected individuals feel to their neighborhood and city, the stronger and more involved they are in their city, and that inspires even more people to be involved. Only good will come from this wonderfully inspired initiative.
  • Kabal Singh
    signed 2018-03-28 15:55:46 -0700
  • Bachitterjeet Singh
    signed 2018-03-28 15:52:44 -0700
  • Manjit Kaur
    signed 2018-03-28 14:18:07 -0700
  • Jason Boutwell
    signed 2018-03-28 02:12:37 -0700
  • Brianna Meyers
    signed 2018-03-27 23:32:07 -0700
  • Harvinder Kang
    signed 2018-03-27 22:15:00 -0700
    HARVINDER singh KANG
  • Pavan Athwal
    signed 2018-03-27 21:49:35 -0700
    PAVAN ATHWAL
  • Rashpal Singh Johal
    signed 2018-03-27 21:22:54 -0700
  • Sonia Mahi
    signed 2018-03-27 20:52:31 -0700
  • Tajinder Singh
    signed 2018-03-27 20:04:56 -0700
  • Navpreet Singh
    signed 2018-03-27 19:53:40 -0700
  • Hardeep Dhaliwal
    signed 2018-03-27 17:10:17 -0700
    hardeep singh dhaliwal
  • Harkanwal Dhillon
    signed 2018-03-27 17:01:31 -0700
  • Tejinder Maan
    signed 2018-03-27 16:13:50 -0700
  • Jill Howard
    signed 2018-03-27 13:48:08 -0700
    Good luck!
  • Brian Russom
    signed 2018-03-27 12:50:40 -0700
    I use this park often, and have observed many Sikh neighbors gathered there. At a time when police brutality against people of color in our own nation is being protested, I would like to honor those who have fought police brutality in other nations.
  • Maria Laguna
    signed 2018-03-27 10:20:20 -0700
    Best wishes to this cause, let’s keep us diverse. Bakersfield needs to start being more open-minded.
  • Karissa Medina
    signed 2018-03-27 09:42:43 -0700
  • Austin Stewart
    signed 2018-03-27 09:07:12 -0700
  • Diana Cisneros
    signed 2018-03-27 08:16:06 -0700
  • Ruben Jauregui
    signed 2018-03-27 04:29:31 -0700
  • Selisa Garcia
    signed 2018-03-27 02:50:47 -0700
  • Angel Hernandez
    signed 2018-03-27 01:21:49 -0700
  • Kimberleigh Anglen
    signed 2018-03-27 00:14:24 -0700
    I am all for more inspiring figures in our community no matter what race they are or what religion they practice. I hope it works out in your favor!
  • Sarah Gurrusquieta
    signed 2018-03-27 00:04:58 -0700
  • Ruby Kaur
    signed 2018-03-26 23:54:15 -0700