Farmers’ protest: ‘Delhi Chalo’ march is stopped, and a 22-year-old Punjabi man dies as police use force to stop farmers

One of the demonstrators, a 22-year-old farmer from Punjab, passed away on Wednesday at the Khanauri border crossing in the Sangrur district due to a brain injury. In the event, farmers said that Haryana security officers used rubber bullets and tear gas shells on them when they were resuming their “Delhi Chalo” march in protest of the lack of a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee.

At the Khanauri and Shambhu border crossings, where Haryana Police had set up barriers to stop the farmers’ march, 26 people were hurt overall, according to Punjab authorities, Indian Express said.

The first victim of the farmers’ protest was a farmer from Bathinda’s Balloh hamlet named Shubhkaran Singh, who passed away from a head wound. Although Shubhkaran’s head injury was ruled fatal at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, the cause is still unknown.

“While the exact details will be made available by doctors, the information we have is that a rubber bullet hit him (Shubhkaran),” said Harcharan Singh Bhullar, DIG (Patiala range), to The Indian Express. A DSP has been sent to work with the physicians.

“A group of protesters tried to create a smokescreen by setting stubble on fire,” Bhullar said, citing preliminary information. “Security personnel hurled tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets.”

The medical superintendent of Rajindra Hospital, Dr. Harnam Singh Rekhi, said that Shubhkaran was brought dead from Khanauri with a head injury to his back. He said that the damage could have been caused by a gunshot, but a post-mortem test would be necessary to pinpoint the exact cause, according to IE.

Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann acknowledged the demise and promised to bring those accountable who caused Shubhkaran’s death. “I’ve seen the incident’s footage. We’ll look into it and file a formal complaint against the responsible officials.

Nonetheless, the Haryana Police have denied any fatalities. On Wednesday afternoon, the police account on X sent a message that said, “As of right now, no farmer has passed away today. This is only conjecture. There are reports of one protestor and two police officers receiving medical attention after being hurt near the Data Singh-Khanori border.

The farmers will still hold their sit-in protest; however, they have called off their two-day protest march to Delhi. Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said they will “review” the situation on Friday when he was at the Shambhu border.

The president of BKU Ekta (Sidhpur), Jagjit Singh Dallewal, was taken to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala later that evening after being struck by a tear gas shell.

The government requests a fifth round of negotiations and appeals for peace.
Arjun Munda, the union’s minister of agriculture, called for calm and a return to the negotiating table.The administration is prepared to address all matters, including the demand for MSP, crop diversification, the stubble problem, and FIRs (against farmers), after the fourth round of negotiations. I’m inviting the farmer leaders to a conversation once again. We must continue to uphold the peace, he said.

“Firearms pointed at farmers”
Earlier at Shambhu, Pandher, Dallewal, and other farmer leaders, accompanied by their followers, moved in the direction of the border while pleading for calm. During this maneuver, tear gas rounds were fired in their direction.

Dallewal said, “We were not armed,” as he was led away. No provocation occurred. However, the Haryana officials began tossing tear gas rounds in our direction. They have been lobbing shells at young people in this manner. Then, how could they claim that the young people have been inciting them? He said, “What they are doing is not done.”

The farmers’ leaders, who had planned the march to start at 11 am, were meeting with authorities at the Shambhu border to discuss the fifth round of negotiations with Central ministries prior to the news of the youth’s death at Khanauri. When they heard about Shubhkaran’s passing, they departed the meeting without more notice.