E-Paper
55-year-old farmer dies during protest in Punjab
The farmers continued to protest against the state government’s alleged failure to write-off farm loans and giving employment in every household.
A 55-year-old farmer died of brain haemorrhage on the second of the five-day protest of farmer unions at Mehmudpur village on the Patiala-Sangrur road on Saturday.
Mukhtiar Singh of Bhaini Bagha village in Mansa district was an activist of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda).
A medical team stationed at the site rushed Mukhtiar to Government Rajindra College and Hospital after he fell unconscious in the wee hours. From there, he was referred to the Postgraduate Institute of Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, where he was declared brought dead.
The farmer organisations demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to the deceased victim’s family and government job to his kin, besides complete loan waiver against 11 acres of land he owned.
The farmers continued to protest against the state government’s alleged failure to write-off farm loans and giving employment in every household.
Admn refuses farmers’ plea for fresh site
A delegation of farmer organisations also met district administration officials demanding to shift their protest site to the grain market in Patiala on the Patiala-Sirhind road.
“The presently allotted site has no iron sheds and the farmers had to spend the whole night under the open sky. However, the district administration has refused our pleas to move our protest to Patiala grain market,” said Avtar Singh Kojriwala, one of the representatives.
“Section 144 of CrPC is undemocratic and it has been imposed to limit our protest to Mehmudpur village,” a farmer said.
