Farmer, mother cremated under tight security

Thursday, 28/04/2016

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=155599&boxid=58470&uid=&dat=2016-04-28

Barnala : A day after a distressed farmer Baljeet Singh (35) and his mother Balbir Kaur (65) committed suicide, the two were cremated at Jodhpur village on Wednesday under tight security arrangements.

Before the cremation, local police handed over the bodies to the relatives after getting the postmortem conducted from the local Civil Hospital.

A large number of people, including social activists and politicians, gathered at the cremation ground in the village.

The administration also announced Rs five lakh each as ex-gratia along with one job to a member of the bereaved family, as learnt.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, police have also registered a case against five persons, including a former Inspector and commission agent Teja Singh, his two sons Jaspreet Singh Jassa and Manpreet Singh Manna, commission agent Baljeet Singh Cheema and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader Baljeet Singh Kairon alias Baba for allegedly forcing the mother and son to commit suicide.

Soon after the deceased two were cremated, political leaders started giving it political colour to their suitability. The leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi and former CLP leader Sunil Kakhar said that Congress would do every bit to get a case registered against the officials who were present when the incident occured. Both of them claimed that they would put their best to ensure that no one gets away in the case, leaving a determent effect.

“It is strange that police are casting doubts in the eyes of people by not registering a case against the police and administrative officials despite all of them being culprits,” claimed Himmat Singh Shergill, legal convener of Aam Aadmi Party.

Meanwhile, Bharti Kisan Union (Dakounda) state president Boota Singh said, “We were protesting against the commission agent and administration against the land being acquired by the commission agent and were arrested by the police after which, the farmer and his mother thought they were left alone, which pushed them to take this drastic action.”

Another debt-ridden farmer ends life

Ludhiana : Unable to repay loans of a private bank and commission agents, a debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at Galib Kalan village near Jagraon on Wednesday.

The victim also left a suicide note in which he wrote that as he was unable to repay loan amount, he was taking the extreme step to end his life. The deceased has been identified as Baljinder Singh (60) of Galib Kalan village.

On Wednesday morning, the victim asked his wife to give him water to drink and reportedly consumed poison with it. When his condition started deteriorating, the victim was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

According to deceased’s wife Balwinder Kaur, her husband had taken a loan of Rs six lakh from a private bank and Rs five lakh from commission agents. The deceased was reportedly unable to pay the debt as the loan amount was multiplying with interest and this forced the farmer to commit suicide.

Amarinder for strong law against dispossessing farmers’ land

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday stressed the need for a strong and effective law against dispossessing the debt-ridden farmers from their land.

He sought all party consensus on the matter so that the farmers are not forced to take the extreme and desperate steps like suicides.

“Without wasting any time in politicking over the issue let us move fast to enact the law to save the land and the lives of our farmers”, Amarinder said in an appeal to all the political parties.

At the same time, he said, the state government will have to provide guarantee so that the arthiyas (the commission agents) also do not suffer any financial losses.

“It is very much possible and practicable and it only needs a sincere and strong will on part of the government”, he remarked.

Expressing grief over the suicide by a farmer and his mother in Jodhpur village in Barnala district after he saw police coming to dispossess him of his land following the court orders, Amarinder said, a strong law, which he has already proposed is the only solution.

The former Chief Minister claimed he had mooted the legislation during his previous term in 2006.

However, since Congress lost power, the Akalis did not follow it up during the last nine years for the reasons best know to them, he said.

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