Suicide bid by 70-yr-old at protest site, says he hopes to open govt eyes
The bid comes five days after a Sikh preacher died after reportedly shooting himself with his licensed revolver at Kundli near the Singhu border. Updated: December 22, 2020 8:02:31 am
Farmers sit in protest against the new Farm laws at Gazipur Border, in New Delhi. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
WITH THE protests against the Centre’s new farm laws nearing their fourth week without any sign of a resolution, a 70-year-old farmer from Tarn Taran in Punjab allegedly attempted suicide on Monday morning by consuming tablets meant for pest control soon after he had reached the Singhu border to Delhi to join the agitation.
Haryanvi ragnis etch ‘kadar kisaan ki’ in song
Ragnis on the farmers’ stir started gaining popularity ever since they faced police lathicharge at Pipli of Kurukshetra district on September 10. Towards the end of November, they started gaining popularity at dharna sites along Delhi borders. December 22, 2020 1:46:32 am
A ragni ‘Kadar kisan ki’ written by ex-serviceman Ajay Hooda of a Rohtak village, has more than 1.2 million viewers on just one music group on YouTube. (Screengrab)
With no end to the deadlock between the Centre and farmer unions in sight, emotions are running high among the protesters sitting on dharna against the farm laws. In this trying time, Haryanvi ragnis (folk songs) have helping keep the morale high at dharna sites in both villages and on social media.
“The agitation is spreading among the farmers with the sentiment that their fight is for their rights,” adds Jasvinder Singh, who has four acres of agricultural land.
Echoing similar sentiments, Shamsher Singh, 50, says, “Before this election, we used to love Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I had voted for BJP candidate in 2019 Assembly election too. But now farmers are upset because of the three farm laws. At least, the farmers should have been consulted before introduction of such laws.”
The farmers of the village, which falls on Delhi-Ambala highway (NH-44) grow wheat and paddy.
Conservative estimate put the number of Rod-Marathas in Haryana at around 7 lakh.
Birender Singh, ex-minister and BJP leader, breaks ranks to back farmers
Birender Singh said he is very keen to go to the borders of Delhi where farmers have been protesting against the new laws for over three weeks now. Updated: December 23, 2020 7:08:41 pm
Birender Singh said he is very keen to go to the borders of Delhi where farmers have been protesting against the new laws for over three weeks now. (Express photo by Jaipal Singh)
Declaring that the farmer protests against the new farm laws is now “everybody’s agitation”, BJP leader and former Union Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh joined a dharna in their support Friday at Sampla in Rohtak district of Haryana.
Baba Ram Singh Cremated: As they bid him adieu, Sikh preacher s followers say sacrifice will fuel farmer stir further
Baba Ram Singh Cremated: As they bid him adieu, Sikh preacher’s followers say ‘sacrifice will fuel farmer stir further’
For the past two days, the mortal remains had been kept inside the gurdwara where followers paid last tributes. Amid a shower of flowers, his body was brought to the gurdwara complex where the last rites were performed. Updated: December 19, 2020 9:11:21 am
Baba Ram Singh died of a bullet injury Wednesday at Kundli near the Singhu border of Delhi.
With thousands thronging Singhra village gurdwara to attend cremation of Baba Ram Singh, his followers say “his sacrifice will fuel the farmer agitation further with his maximum following coming from farming community”.