70-year-old landless farm labourer who’d go to Samrala dharna site daily dies by suicide

Two days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had started a drive to give jobs to farm labourers and farmers who have died during the morcha. He had given job letters to two families of farm labourers.

SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD Tara Singh, a landless farm labourer, allegedly died by suicide at Ghulal toll plaza in Samrala constituency of Ludhiana district Sunday night.

Sources said he consumed a poisonous substance at the pakka dharna site of Ghulal toll plaza where he had been coming to protest against the farm laws on a daily basis since October 1 last year.

In Punjab, pakka dharnas had started in October last year. Tara Singh used to go to the dharna site daily and return in the evening to his house in the nearby Raule village. “Sometimes he used to sleep at the dharna site as well. Yesterday he did the same. No one knew he would take such an extreme step,” said Hardeep Singh Giaspura of BKU Kadian. Tara Singh too was a member of BKU Kadian.

His son Kuldeep Singh is an auto rickshaw driver while his wife Parkash Kaur has been camping at Tikri border since first week of December last year. Kaur started from Tikri Monday evening when the Bharat Bandh dharnas were lifted. “She was doing sewa at Tikri border while Tara Singh was a committed worker at Ghulal toll plaza,” said Giaspura.

Tara Singh’s cremation will happen on Tuesday. BKU Kadian has demanded due compensation and a government job for his family.

Two days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had started a drive to give jobs to farm labourers and farmers who have died during the morcha. He had given job letters to two families of farm labourers.

Farmers said Tara Singh was distressed as the government was not listening to them even after an year of protests. However, no suicide note was recovered from the spot Monday morning.
The dharna continued at the same toll plaza as part of Bharat Bandh. Tara Singh body was kept in the mortuary of civil hospital, Samrala.

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