Farmers Movement Archive

Raj Kumar’s wife, 3 children stare at bleak future

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, December 24December 12 was the scariest day for Anju (38), as it was this day that she lost her husband Raj Kumar, who was actively offering his services to the ‘Kisan Andolan’ from the day it began.While farmers’ stir is still on, miserable Anju believes her three children stare at a bleak future now.A resident of Kahma village in Nawanshahr, Raj Kumar breathed his last after suffering a brain stroke on the night of December 12. A taxi driver by profession, the 41-year-old was making his contribution to the protest by catering to those who were facing difficulty in reaching the Delhi-Haryana borders to participate in the protest. He took the initiative to offer free taxi service to farmers in his village to reach Singhu and Tikri borders since November 28.Unfortunately, while he was entering Haryana, he struggled to breathe and stopped responding. However, before losing consciousness, he managed to stop his car, ferrying 10 villagers, and died later.The deceased was the sole bread winner in his family. It had been only three months since he purchased his own car. He had reportedly borrowed money to operate his own taxi service, but everything’s gone believes his teary-eyed wife.Kashmiri Lal, the elder brother of the deceased, said it was the first time when Raj received any such attack. “He had no other illness and was healthy from the day he joined the protest. We were also told that he might have suffered a stroke due to unbearable cold. His death has shocked all of us. A happy go lucky person, Raj was a great support system for his family. He was into driving for the past 15 years. Now, the future of his three children, all below six years, is at stake. Though we don’t have farming background, my brother was glad to be involved in the protest,” Lal said.Though Cabinet Minister Aruna Chaudhary visited the family of the deceased on Tuesday and offered a help of Rs5 lakh, the family members want educational funding for Raj Kumar’s three children.

The Tribune

2020-12-25