Gurmehar Kaur (born 24 September 1996) is an Indian student activist and author.[4] Graduating from Lady Shri Ram College, she pursued her masters from Somerville College, University of Oxford. Kaur is also an ambassador for Postcards for Peace, a UK-based charitable organisation that helps eliminate any form of discrimination.[5]
In October 2017, Time magazine used the phrase "free speech warrior" in expressing their opinion of Kaur and included her in their "10 Next Generation Leaders" list for 2017.[6] Her debut, a memoir, called Small Acts of Freedom which was published in January 2018 by Penguin Random House, was shortlisted for the Sahitya Akademi YUVA Puraskar in 2020.[7][8][9]
Early life
Gurmehar Kaur was born to Rajvinder Kaur and Captain Mandeep Singh in Jalandhar.[5] She completed her education at Harvest International School, Ludhiana. Her father, Mandeep Singh, was one of the seven Indian Army personnel martyred at 1:15 am IST after a Rashtriya Rifle camp was attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on 6 August 1999.[10] Kaur holds a degree in Literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She pursued her MSc in Modern South Asian Studies from the Somerville College, Oxford University.[11][12]
On 28 April 2016, a video was uploaded to Facebook by Voice of Ram (Ram Subramanian), featuring Gurmehar Kaur.[13] The video was also uploaded to YouTube by Voice of Ram.[14] Gurmehar Kaur launched the #ProfileForPeace campaign in April 2016, questioning the calibre of leadership of India and Pakistan in the video, and advocating "peace" between India and Pakistan. She styled herself as a "soldier for peace" fighting against war.
The video went viral[15] in February 2017, after Gurmehar came forward with a social media message against ABVP at Delhi University, a student federation belonging to the Sangh Parivar.[16][17] It attracted much controversy and ridicule, particularly a statement: "Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him."[18]
In 2017, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs of India Kiren Rijiju commented on her video that "Some Political forces are behind her statements (Spoiling the minds of the students)".[19] Former cricketer Virender Sehwag posted an image saying, "I didn't score triple centuries, my bat did".[20]Javed Akhtar also commented on this issue as he counterattacked on all those who were against Gurmehar.[21]
Gurmehar's mother showed support for her daughter clarifying that "Her message in the video should be seen in a larger perspective. What she actually wanted to say was that war always brings destruction. I never wanted her to look at people of Pakistan or any other country with hatred. Situations make people kill each other during a war."[22]
Save DU Campaign
She was virtually part of Save DU campaign against ABVP in February 2017 in which she opposed the violence that erupted at the Ramjas College Campus after the lectures of Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid Shora were cancelled due to ABVP's protest.[23] She received death and rape threats for starting this campaign and later on she left the campaign.[24][3]
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