Surprised & happy, says Gurmehar Kaur on making it to the Times Magazine list of 10 next generation leaders

Gurmehar, daughter of an Army officer who was shot dead in an encounter with militants in the Valley, had hit headlines when she was trolled online for speaking up against violence allegedly by members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), at a Delhi college in February this year.

REACTING TO her inclusion by TIME magazine in its list of 10 next generation leaders, terming her as a “free speech warrior”, Delhi University (DU) student Gurmehar Kaur said she was “surprised, very happy and excited.” She said she would never hesitate to raise her voice for the right cause and will not let anyone suppress her right to “responsible ‘freedom of expression.”

“I am very happy and proud and so is my family, especially my mother. But at the same time, this puts a lot of responsibility on my shoulders,” said 20-year-old Gurmehar.

Gurmehar, daughter of an Army officer who was shot dead in an encounter with militants in the Valley, had hit headlines when she was trolled online for speaking up against violence allegedly by members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), at a Delhi college in February this year.