Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers’ stir fallout: Family yet to come to terms with 16-yr-old’s death

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, December 29Gurjinder Singh, a resident of Thana village, in Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur, is probably the youngest of the casualties that took place during the farmers’ protest at Singhu and Tikri borders.Recalling the day when Gurjinder left for the protest, his wailing mother Kulwinder Kaur said: “My son was excited to join the protest. As his father is settled in America, he felt it was his responsibility in the family to make their presence felt in the agitation against the diktats imposed upon farmers without their consent. Now, we are left with nothing. When he left for the protest sites with his friends, he said, ‘mummy, fatte chak ke aunde’ (will return after claiming our win). We kept waiting for him, but he never returned.”The 16-year-old school-going boy reportedly left for his heavenly abode on the night of December 15 after he fell from the tractor-trailer he was sitting in and was later crushed under the wheels of another vehicle while going to Delhi. Unable to come to terms with the death of her only son, Kulwinder has, however, appealed to conduct an inquiry into his accident, as both his expensive phones and the golden bracelet he was wearing were missing from his body and were still untraceable.A student of Class XI, Gurjinder often used to work in fields that his family has given on contract. He used to bring fodder for the cattle too!“It's been over 12 years since my husband left for America. Later, my brother-in-law also moved abroad. Gurjinder was the only male member in the house. He used to take care of all responsibilities. His father and I still regret the day we allowed him to join the protest. He will now rest in peace only when the government fulfils the demands of farmers and revokes the farm laws,” Kulwinder said.The deceased, was scheduled to visit his father next month. He was living here with his mother, an elder sister and grandmother. Raj Balwinder Singh, sarpanch of the Sahungra village, Hoshiarpur, was the first one who was informed about Gurjinder’s accident. He said it was unfortunate that a young boy lost his life in the struggle. He was keen to know more about the laws and the protest, he said.

The Tribune

2020-12-30