On Thursday, two protesting farmers from Barnala district of Punjab were found dead at the Tikri border. It has been suspected that they might have died due to heart attack. The deceased at the Tikri border-protest site were identified as Rajender Singh and Karam Singh. In the ongoing farmers’ protests, they had been protesting at the Tikri border for a long time. The bodies of the two farmer-protesters have been sent for autopsy.
Also See: Overview of the Farmers’ unions in the protests
Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur are the three prominent protest-sites in ongoing farmers’ protest-movement against the three central farm-laws. Today at various places in the Malwa belt, farmers held protests and blocked roads, raising their voices against the against the erratic power supply.
BKU activists protested outside the power house at Moga. They blocked the Moga-Ludhiana National Highway for several hours. The farmers slammed the state government for not providing the promised eight-hour power supply for paddy transplantation. BKU activists staged a protest at Dagru village as well.
A BKU activist, Sukhjinder Singh Khosa alleged, “We are getting just four to five hours of power supply against the promised eight hours.”
Sukhdev Singh Kokri is the general secretary of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan). He said that farmers were being forced to use generators to pump out underground water, increasing the input costs.
He further said that the Congress government has failed to ensure adequate power supply to farmers and domestic consumers. He alleged that governments could not ensure power supply amid a prolonged dry weather spell, making farmers’ lives miserable.
Also Read: Three Ms of ongoing farmers’ movement- Mewat, Meo & Mahapanchayat- their Social & historical impacts
On Thursday, the BKU (Dhakaunda) staged a protest and blocked the Kotkapura-Bathinda road at Jaito. The farmer-organization raised slogans against PSPCL. Farmers blocked the Ludhiana-Bathinda highway, at Mehal Kalan. Protests were also reported from Binewal, Abohar and Tapa Mandi areas.
Also Read: Farmers’ movement gain steam on the completion of seven months of protests
Protesting farmers were demanding monetary compensation in lieu of the crops damaged due to the shortage of power supply in the region.
Farmers staged a protest at Shooshak village in Ferozepur. They blocked the Ferozepur-Zira road and raised slogans against the government. Protests were also reported at some places in Faridkot, Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur and Fazilka.
