New Delhi: A 62-year-old protester, who actively participated in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, passed away due to a heart attack in Khanauri, on the Punjab-Haryana border, a farmer leader said on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
Sarwan Singh Pandher said that Darshan Singh, who suffered a heart attack was a native of Amargarh village in Bathinda district.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have been at the forefront of the farmers’ agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points of Punjab and Haryana, advocating for various demands, including legislation on Minimum Support Price (MSP).
According to the news agency, earlier, a 72-year-old farmer, also part of the same agitation, had succumbed to a cardiac arrest. Additionally, a 63-year-old farmer had suffered a heart attack at the Shambhu border. Earlier on Wednesday, 21-year-old Shubhkaran, a resident of Bathinda, lost his life during clashes between Haryana Police and Punjab farmers.
The confrontation erupted when some protesting farmers attempted to breach barricades at Khanauri, resulting in injuries to 12 police personnel.
Notably, thousands of farmers continue to stay put at Khanauri and Shambhu with their tractor-trolleys and trucks, obstructing the roads.
In response to the demise of the protester, farmer leaders suspended the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march for two days on Wednesday, stating that they would determine their next steps by Friday evening.
In addition to MSP legislation, Punjab farmers are advocating for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pensions for farmers and agricultural laborers, no escalation in electricity tariffs, the withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Furthermore, the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 and compensation for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the previous agitation in 2020-21 are among their demands.