Another elderly farmer from Punjab dies of heart attack at Khanauri, toll reaches 4
Protesting farmer Darshan Singh, 62, dies of cardiac arrest at Khanauri border, becoming the fourth casualty in ongoing Delhi Chalo protest.
Another protesting farmer died at Khanauri border, taking the toll to four during the ongoing protest on the Delhi Chalo call, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Friday.
The 62-year-old farmer, Darshan Singh from Amargarh village in Bathinda district, had been staying at Khanauri border since February 13.
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Pandher, the general secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said that Darshan Singh died of cardiac arrest.
“He was at the Khanauri border and is the fourth ‘martyr’ of this farmers’ agitation. He has been identified as Darshan Singh (62). He died of a heart attack,” Pandher said.
He also said that a job to a member of the victim’s family should be given.
“A compensation similar to that given to three previous farmers and a job to a member of his family should be given. They have provided ₹5 lakh each as compensation earlier,” he said.
On Wednesday, Shubh Karan Singh, 21, died of an injury to the back of his neck while protesting at Khanauri border, prompting farm leaders to suspend talks with the Centre.
Following his death, farmers observed ‘black Friday’.
To pressure the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver, the farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 along with their tractor-trolleys, mini-vans and pickup trucks.
However, during the last round of talks, which ended past midnight on February 18, the panel of three Union ministers had proposed buying five crops -- moong dal, urad dal, tur dal, maize and cotton -- from farmers at MSP for five years through central agencies.