21-year-old Shubhakaran Singh died in farmers’ clash with police at Khanauri border.
Chandigarh:
On February 13, 21-year-old Shubhakaran Singh left his home in Baloke village in Punjab’s Bathinda district to join the farmers’ march in Delhi. Eight days later, he died in a clash between farmers and police near the Khanauri border separating Punjab and Haryana.
The exact cause of Shubhakaran’s death is not yet known. The farmers have blocked the autopsies, demanding the government to announce compensation for their families. They are demanding jobs from the central government as compensation.
Neighbors told that Shubhakaran’s family has about 2 acres of land. His mother has died and his father suffers from mental illness. He has two sisters, one is married and the other is a student. He told that the young farmer had taken a loan for his sister’s marriage. A neighbor described the family as “poor”.
Farmers are marching towards Delhi with several demands including a law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for their crops, pension benefits and crop insurance. MSP is a price fixed by the government and its objective is to save farmers from distress sale of their produce.
Determined to not let the farmers advance towards the national capital, Haryana Police has strengthened its borders with Punjab. Police are releasing tear gas shells to stop the farmers. Farmers allege that rubber bullets were also used during the clash yesterday. The police, on its part, said that several policemen suffered injuries after the protesters pelted stones and threw sticks.
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal yesterday said that Haryana Police is using force against farmers, while talks are on between them and the government to find a way out of the impasse. Farmers have rejected the Centre’s offer on MSP, arguing that the formula it is proposing will ensure subsistence but no income. The Delhi march has been stopped for two days as farmers plan the next step.
Mr Dallewal put forward two conditions on why farmers were obstructing the autopsy. “The Punjab government should declare him a martyr and provide benefits accordingly. And, the government should constitute a five-member board to conduct the post-mortem examination.”
Meanwhile, the death of the young farmer has created a massive political storm. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has warned of appropriate action against the officials concerned, setting the stage for a Punjab vs Haryana face-off.
Mr Mann is stoking the fire at home, with the opposition in Punjab accusing the Aam Aadmi Party government of collaborating with the Haryana Police to stop the farmers.
“Farmers and political parties were asking you to stop Haryana Police from releasing tear gas from drones on farmers in Punjab region. You were supposed to file a case against Haryana Police when they were attacking farmers in your state. Why did you do this? Didn’t you? Instead, you and your police kept obeying the Haryana government to stop your farmers from using their machinery and vehicles,” Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal said while blaming Mr Mann for Shubhakaran’s death. Held “morally and legally responsible”.
State Congress chief Amarinder Raja Singh Waring has said the chief minister’s “ignorance has led to the brutal murder of the 21-year-old farmer”. He said, “Now the time has come that as the Chief Minister of Punjab, you stand with the farmers of our state.”
