Shubhkaran Singh, a 21-year-old farmer was killed and several other injured as Haryana police launched a brutal assault on farmers attempting to resume their march towards Delhi.
Groundxero | 21st February, 2024
A 21-year-old farmer was killed of suspected ‘Bullet Injury’ and many others injured in tear gas shelling and firing of rubber bullets by Haryana police as protesting farmers made a fresh attempt to resume their march to Delhi on 21st February from the Punjab-Haryana borders, where over 10,000 farmers with tractors and trolleys have been camping for the last nine days.
The farmers, who had to face police brutality, concrete barricades and iron nails on February13, had put their march on hold, and had warned that they will resume their march to Delhi if their demands are not met.
The SKM (non-Political), a breakaway faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the body that led the farmers’ protest in 2020-21, and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are leading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest this time. On Monday, the leaders of SKM (non-Political) and KMM had rejected the Union government’s proposal of procuring pulses, maize and cotton at MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in farmers’ interest, and had announced that they will resume the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 21 (Wednesday).
The farmers are demanding a law guaranteeing MSP for all crops as per the Dr. Swaminathan Commission’s report, a complete debt waiver and pension to farmers and farm-labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri massacre, compensation to the families of the farmers who died during their agitation in 2020-21, among others things.
The protest march to Delhi resumed on Wednesday, after a two-day pause, as the government refused to accept the core demand of the farmers — a law on guaranteed procurement of crops at MSP. At Shambhu and Khanauri border points in Punjab, as the farmers tried to move towards the barricades and enter Haryana to march towards Delhi, the Haryana Police hurled tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the farmers. The security forces had also deployed drones to drop tear gas shells on the farmers.
At the Khanauri border, a 21-year-old farmer named Shubhkaran Singh from Ballo village in Bathinda was killed after the Haryana police fired rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells to prevent the farmers from crossing the barricades. Shubhkaran suffered a fatal head injury and was taken to Rajindra Hospital.
H.S. Rekhi, the medical superintendent at the government-run Rajindra Hospital, told reporters that the youth was brought dead at about 3 pm. “He appeared to have died of bullet injury, rest will be confirmed after the autopsy,” said Dr Rekhi.
Shubhkaran Singh who died at Khanauri border.
Farmer leaders said this was the first death in clashes with security forces since the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protests began on February 13. More than 100 farmers have already suffered injuries, while two have died of heart attacks in the last one week during their stay at the protest camps on the borders. The farmers claimed that the security forces have also used pellet guns, apart from firing rubber bullets and dropping tear gas shells from drones. A few protestors are in serious danger of losing their vision due to the injuries inflicted in the police repression.
Haryana Police, however, said that “no farmer” had died during the protest. Dr Balbir Singh, Punjab’s health minister, while confirming the death of Shubhkaran Singh told the BBC that another youth had also sustained a bullet wound but “luckily he has survived”. He added that at least 13 people were being treated for injuries in Punjab hospitals.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said, “… Whichever police personnel is responsible for Shubhkaran’s death, action will be taken against him.” He added “They are trying to threaten us of President’s rule. I am not scared of these threats, I would not let any more Shubhkarans die…”
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that led the historic year-long movement against the three farm laws in 2020-21, has stayed away from the ongoing ‘Delhi chalo’ movement so far, but held protest demonstrations on 21 February against the Members of Parliament of BJP and NDA in all district headquarters with the demands of implementing the agreement with SKM on 9th December 2021 and to stop state repression of ongoing farmers’ agitation at Punjab borders on the same demands.
SKM, AIKS and Central Trade Unions condemn police killing
The SKM came out with a statement strongly condemning the “brutal” police repression and the killing by the Police of the young farmer at Khanauri border of Punjab while protesting against the anti- farmer policies of the Modi Government. SKM said “the Prime Minister and the Executive that failed to implement the agreement with SKM signed on 9th December 2021 are solely responsible for the present crisis and the causality”, and added “this is a brutal assault on bread earners from farmer families when they were protesting only for the implementation of the written promises made by the Prime Minister.”
SKM has pledged not to allow the supreme sacrifice of the young martyr farmer to go in vain and take decisive action to achieve the just and fair demands of the farmers through massive and determined struggles.
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said that the killing of Shubh Karan Singh exposes the brutality of the Modi regime even while claiming to be ‘farmer-friendly’. AIKS accused the BJP government in Haryana led by Manohar Khattar of treating the protesting farmers like “enemy soldiers” and carrying out “war-like operations” against them.
AIKS has called upon all its units to hold protests against the barbaric violence of the BJP governments in Haryana and the Centre.
The Platform of Central Trade Unions has also criticized the unprecedented and unprovoked use of force and oppression on the farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu borders by the Haryana police and Central forces today. In a statement they condemned the use of plastic bullets and tear gas shells on the farmers who wanted to reach the capital city of the country to demand from the Union government to fulfill the promises given to farmers by it at the time of taking back the three farm laws in 2021 based on which the farmers had lifted protest from Delhi borders.
The CTUs have called upon the unions of all sectors — organised and unorganized — to observe 23rd February as Black day and organise nationwide protests, wear black badges, have lunch hour protests, protest dharnas, processions, torchlight/candlelight protests in whatever form they can express their anguish on the ruthless approach of Union government towards workers and farmers of the country.
‘Delhi Chalo’ March on Hold
By the end of the day, the farmer leaders addressing a press conference said they would review the situation arising out of today’s events and decide on the future course of action. They announced suspension of their protest march towards Delhi for two days, though the sit-in protest at the borders will continue, they said.
Meanwhile, the Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda tweeted that the government is ready to hold a 5th round of talks to resolve the farmers’ demands. However, the farmer leaders are yet to confirm if they will hold another round of talks with the government.