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Monday, December 21, 2020

Punjab: Tributes paid to 41 farmers who died during protests

"Our union organised programmes to pay tributes to farmers in 98 villages of Punjab on Sunday. We will continue to pay them tributes by organising these programmes in 15 districts of Punjab till December 24," said Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan).

Written by Raakhi Jagga | Ludhiana | Updated: December 21, 2020 2:32:33 pm
Farmers protest, Farmers death during protests, Tribute to farmers, Ludhiana news, Punjab news, Indian express news ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ observed in Ludhiana’s Jhamat village. (File)

Tributes were paid Sunday to 41 farmers who have died since September 15 when protests intensified against three Central farm laws.

“Our union organised programmes to pay tributes to farmers in 98 villages of Punjab on Sunday. We will continue to pay them tributes by organising these programmes in 15 districts of Punjab till December 24,” said Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU (Ugrahan).

Holding pictures of those who died during these protests, the farmers moved through various lanes of villages as well as cities. The first death had happened on September 18 when Preetam Singh, 65, of Akkanwali of Mansa village, consumed sulphas tablets at a dharna outside former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s house. He was rushed to hospital but he died. He died a day after ordinances were passed in Lok Sabha while Pakka morcha had been going on outside Badal’s house since September 15. His body was cremated after the government gave compensation of Rs 3 lakh, job letter to a family member and promise of loan waiver.

So far, 41 farmers have died in Punjab as well as Delhi since September 15 when protests against farm laws intensified in Punjab and Haryana. Of these, 30 were from Malwa belt alone, six from Doaba belt, two from Majha belt and three from Haryana.

There are no exact lists of persons who died in Delhi morcha or on the way to Delhi. It is stated that more than 26 out of these died after November 26 in Delhi or on the way to or while coming back from Delhi. Among these victims were two women: Tej Kaur, 80, who died at Budhlada as she accidentally fell on railway track on October 8 and Gurmail Kaur, who died of heart attack during a protest at Bathinda.

Farmers started going to Delhi from November 26 onwards from Punjab and the first death happened on November 27 when Dhanna Singh, 45, of a Mansa village died when a tractor in which he was going was hit by a truck from behind near Bhiwani. His family was given Rs 5 lakh in compensation by the Punjab government.

In Delhi, many farmers died due to cold weather while few others in road accidents due to fog. Kokrikalan said, “All farmers who were members of BKU (Ugrahan) have been given compensation by Punjab government ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.”

Farmer dies, cops probe possibility of suicide

A 22-year-old Punjab farmer, who returned from Singhu border, has allegedly committed suicide after consuming some poisonous substance at Dayalpura Mirza village of Bathinda. He has been identified as Gurlabh Singh and had returned to his village on Friday, the Bathinda police said.

Information revealed that he consumed some poisonous substance at his home on Saturday.

He was taken to the nearest hospital where he was declared brought dead. He owed a debt of Rs 6.5 lakh, but the reason behind the suicide was yet to be ascertained, said Joginder Singh Jawanda, BKU (Ugrahan) leader of that area.

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