Jalandhar: Another protesting Indian farmer died, bringing the toll to four during the ongoing Delhi Chalo march.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the elderly farmer Darshan Singh (62) of Amargarh village, Bathinda district of Punjab, who had been part of the protest since beginning of the Delhi Chalo march, died of cardiac arrest at Khanauri border the other day.
Darshan Singh had been camping at Khanauri border ever since the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (nonpolitical) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) led by Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarvan Singh Pandher had given a call for Delhi Chalo march on February 13. The farmers have called this protest to press the Modi government to accept their demand of legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farm loan debt waiver among others.
Expressing grief over the demise of Darshan Singh, the coordinator of KMM Sarvan Singh Pandher said that Darshan Singh died of cardiac arrest. “Darshan Singh is the fourth martyr of the farmers’ protest,” he said.
Earlier on February 21, a young farmer Shubhkaran Singh reportedly died of a bullet injury while protesting at the Khanauri border. The farmers had announced to move to Delhi on February 21, when Shubhkaran Singh was killed while many others sustained severe injuries. Besides, two elderly farmers namely Manjeet Singh and Gyan Singh had lost their lives at the protest sites in the past 10 days.
Meanwhile, the family of Shubhkaran Singh has reportedly refused to accept the ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore and a government job to his sister and said, “We will not accept the ex-gratia and the government till the government registers an FIR against the Haryana Police”.