Punjab, January 9:
A 50-year-old farmer from Tarn Taran, Resham Singh, tragically died after consuming a poisonous substance on Thursday at Shambhu border. Singh, hailing from Pahuwind village, ingested insecticide in protest against the government’s failure to address farmers’ issues. He was immediately taken to the Government Hospital in Rajpura but was later transferred to Rajendra Hospital in Patiala as his condition worsened. He was declared dead by doctors.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, the coordinator for the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, stated that Resham Singh’s death was a desperate act to express frustration over the central government’s inability to resolve the ongoing farmers’ protests. Pandher further demanded that Singh’s family receive compensation of Rs 25 lakh, a government job for a family member, and the cancellation of all pending loans before any post-mortem or last rites could take place. The farmer’s body will remain in the mortuary until these demands are met.
Pandher also called for a police investigation into the matter and urged other farmers to remain strong in their protests without resorting to extreme measures like self-harm.
Resham Singh’s death follows a similar tragedy. Earlier, on December 14, 57-year-old Ranjodh Singh from Ratanheri village consumed insecticide at the Shambhu border during the protests and passed away on December 18. Since the protests began on February 13, 34 farmers, including 22-year-old Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed during a protest on February 21, have lost their lives.
In a separate incident, a farmer from Khanauri border, Gurdial Singh, 40, was hospitalized after suffering burns from a fire in a makeshift water heater at the protest site.
Farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a hunger strike entering its 45th day, has urged protesters to continue the movement even if his health deteriorates and he dies. In a message to his close associate Kaka Singh Kotra, Dallewal expressed his wish for his body to remain at the protest site, symbolizing the ongoing struggle of the farm movement.
Despite efforts by MP Harendra Malik and attempts to contact Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dallewal refused to end his fast, remaining steadfast in his demand for the government to meet the farmers’ needs. A medical team monitoring Dallewal’s health has expressed concern as his condition worsens, with Dallewal refusing to take his prescribed cancer medication in addition to the water-only fast since November 26.
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