Sangrur: A 50-year-old farmer from Patiala district of Punjab died on Tuesday Feb 27 reportedly due to a lung infection he suffered during recent tear gas shelling at the Punjab-Haryana border in Khanauri during the ongoing farmers Delhi Chalo march taking the farmer casualties toll to six, sources said on Tuesday.
The deceased farmer has been identified as Karnail Singh, a resident of village Arno in Patiala district of Punjab. According to sources, the health of 50-year-old farmer Karnail Singh son of Nihal Singh, who was on strike on the Khanuri border, suddenly deteriorated on the intervening night of Feb 26 and 27. Singh was admitted at Rajindra Hospital, Patiala where he died during treatment, an official said.
Reports said that Singh had suffered lung infection due to tear gas shelling by Haryana Police on the protesting farmers at the Khanauri border on Feb 21. Pertinently, a young farmer, Shubhkaran Singh hailing from Bathinda district of Punjab died during the protest march after receiving head injury after police fired tear gas shells at the farmers.
Karnail Singh, who was affiliated to the Bharatiya Kisan Union Krantikari, a Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) constituent, is survived by wife, three daughters and two sons. Singh reportedly has an outstanding debt of Rs 8 lakh. Reports said that six farmers, some of them due to heart attack, have died during the ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' march.
The farmers are protesting to demand a special law on MSP for several crops, withdrawal of cases against the farmers during the past demonstrations, loan waiver for farmers and punishment for the culprits in the Lakhimpur-Kheri violence besides others.
On Monday, February 26, the United Kisan Morcha (SKM) took out a tractor march across the country to observe the day as 'Quit WTO Day' in a bid to press for the developed countries to exclude agriculture from the subsidy policy at the ongoing 13th ministerial conference of the WTO at Abdu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Farmers are currently protesting at Shambhu and Khanuri border of Punjab-Haryana after postponement of Delhi March till February 29 when the WTO ministerial conference ends. It may be mentioned that Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and United Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leading the movement will hold a national level meeting on Tuesday.
A final decision about the fate of the Delhi March will be taken on February 28. The central government has suspended Internet in 19 areas of 7 districts of Punjab. These include Patiala, Mohali, Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Muktsar, Mansa and Sangrur districts.
