Amid the nationwide protest against the Farms Boll 2020, a priest from Haryana’s Karnal died by suicide near the Singhu border in Delhi on Wednesday.
“I have witnessed the plight of the farmers, who are on the streets, struggling for their rights. I am hurt to see that the government is not giving them justice. It is a crime. It is a sin to oppress and it is a sin to suffer,” Baba Ram Singh’s suicide note said.
“Nobody did anything against the oppression and for the rights of the farmers. Many even expressed their wrath by returning awards and honours given to them,” it said.
“This servant commits self-immolation against the government oppression [and] in favour of the farmers. It [The act] is the voice against the oppression and the voice in favour of the farmers,” the suicide note written in Punjabi said.
The deceased, Sant Baba Ram Singh, was a religious preacher with followers in Haryana and Punjab. He was a former office bearer in many Sikh organisations, including Haryana SGPC.
Confirming the news, Akali Dal chief tweeted, “Anguished to hear that Sant Baba Ram Singh ji Nanaksar Singhra wale shot himself at Singhu border in Kisan Dharna, looking at farmers’ suffering. Sant ji’s sacrifice won’t be allowed to go in vain.”
Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also appealed to the Central government not to let the situation deteriorate any further and repeal the three agriculture laws.
The 65-year-old, a resident of Singhra village in Nissing area of Haryana’s Karnal district, recently joined the farmers’ protest.
More than 20 of the protesters have died, the farmers’ representatives said yesterday. A farmer leader from Maharashtra, Rishipal, said one farmer has died every day on an average since the protest started.
Thousand of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at several border points of Delhi demanding scrapping of Centre’s three new farm laws. Today was 21 days of protest.
