Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers protest during airing of PM Modi’s Mann ki Baat

A 55-year-old advocate from Punjab died in yet another case of alleged suicide at the farmers’ agitation site in Tikri and demonstrations were held at several places across the country, with protesters clanging utensils and oil tins during the airing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme on Sunday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, however, reiterated at a government function in Himachal Pradesh that no one could take away farmers’ land through contract farming. Farm leaders, meanwhile, said there had been no official response to their proposal for talks on December 29. Amarjit Singh, a lawyer from Fazilka district, allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at Bahadurgarh and was declared dead at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak. “We are waiting for his family to come to ascertain the cause behind him taking the extreme step. We are not in the possession of any suicide note,” said Inspector Surender Kumar, Station House Officer, Sadar Bahadurgarh. Chief Medical Officer, Jhajjar, Sanjay Dahiya, said the patient was brought to Civil Hospital at 9-30 a.m. with a history of having consumed an unknown substance and was referred to Rohtak. Farmer unions, however, claimed Amarjit left behind a suicide note in support of the agitation. In a statement, the AIKSCC said farmers, workers and other sections of people assembled and beat vessels in response to the call to clang vessels during Mr. Modi’s Mann Ki Baat broadcast to protest against his indifference to farmers. (Those in need of help can contact Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health over telephone: 011-4076 9002.) D

The Hindu

2020-12-28

NEW DELHI