Chandigarh: A 55-year-old Ferozepur woman had lost her 23-year-old son during the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws. She said Friday his soul must be at peace now after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the announcement to repeal the legislations. Lovejeet Singh was among around 700 farmers who lost their lives during the farmers’ stir. This is as per the information available from leaders of the protesting unions. These farmers died because of various reasons, including harsh winter, road accidents, cardiac arrest and ailments.
Five farmers hailing from Punjab’s Ferozepur district lost their lives during the agitation at the Delhi borders. The families of the deceased farmers expressed satisfaction over the announcement of the farm laws’ repeal. However, the kin of those deceased said the loss of their family members cannot ever be compensated.
Ninder Kaur (55), a resident of Village Sawai ke in Mamdot block in Ferozepur, said her son Lovejeet Singh died at the Singhu border protest site. He died of fever. “He was supporting the agitation from day one. He used to tell me that the farmers will definitely win some day. His soul must be at peace after this news,” she said.
Gurmit Kaur (58), a resident of village Pipli Chak in Guruharsahai sub-division, said her husband Jarnail Singh (60) died due to cardiac arrest at the Singhu border in June this year. “His sacrifice has finally paid off as the Union Government decided to repeal the agri-laws. I am so happy that farmers who were fighting for their rights have finally won on the sacred day (on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev,” said Gurmit.
Satnam Singh Pannu, Punjab state president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, said this day will etched in history. “We were not fighting for ourselves. We were fighting for the generations to come. Though we lost our few members, the entire nation will always be grateful to them,” Pannu said.
In Bathinda, the families of those who died during the farmers’ struggle recalled their personal losses.
Gurmail Singh, whose 18-year-old son Jashan Preet Singh of village Chuke died of cardiac arrest at the Tikri border, said that he was happy that his son’s sacrifice had not gone in vain. “Today is the day of real happiness when my son’s sacrifice is acknowledged,” an emotional Gurmail said.
Sukhrimpy Singh said, “Farm laws had to be repealed. But I know I have lost my father in this struggle.” Sukhrimpy’s father Gurdas Singh Dhillon (68) of village Ghudda died in an accident in February this year.
In Amritsar, the affected families welcomed the announcement but said it should have come earlier. Bhupinder Singh, who has recently lost his brother Gurbhej Singh of village Saidolehal at the Singhu border, said, “We welcome the decision of the PM, it’s a good decision but it should have been done earlier so that many lives could have been saved. Many innocent farmers were killed during the agitation and they are martyrs for the farming community.”
Jagdish Singh who lost his brother Davinder from village Maluwal during the stir at the Singhu border also hailed the announcement of repeal of the farm laws.
“We welcome this decision. But the government should have made this announcement earlier in order to save the lives of more than 700 farmers. Now it is the turn of the Punjab government to fulfil its promise of jobs to one family member of the farmers who died during the ongoing agitation,” he said.
Punjab has remained the epicentre of the protests against the Centre’s three farm legislations – the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.