Jalandhar: Crop loss in floods, mounting debt drive young farmer to die by suicide

Jalandhar, April 3

A 27-year-old farmer from Baupur village in Sultanpur Lodhi committed suicide on Monday, depressed due to loss of his crops in the recent floods and the resultant mounting debts.

His family alleged that if the floods hadn’t happened, he would still be alive. He is survived by his wife Harpreet Kaur and two children — a daughter and a son.

No breadwinner in the family

I don’t have any knowledge about his debts and the money owed to him by his employers. My children are in school and I don’t know if I would even be able to send them to college. There is no breadwinner in the family and I have never worked. We don’t know how we will make ends meet. I seek help from the government to keep our family afloat. Harpreet Kaur, wife of Gurjant

Gurjant consumed a poisonous substance on Monday at his home in Baupur and lay on his bed after which his health condition deteriorated. He was taken to the local hospital but died soon afterwards.

After 5 feet of sand was deposited in his fields after floods, his crops failed and he had taken to daily wage labour. However, he had been perturbed by some people refusing to pay him the money for the work he had done.

Gurjant’s wife Harpreet Kaur (25) said, “Had the floods not happened, my husband would have been alive. After our crops were lost due to floods, and sand filled the fields, my husband took to labour and doing other daily wage jobs. But we are poor and some people used to harass him in making payments. He often cried about being refused his money back. He was also worried about paying back money borrowed from relatives and arhtiyas who were asking for it. I even offered to speak to lenders for him, but he refused. On Monday, he sent me and my daughter to get suits from a tailor and also tried to send my son. After we went, he consumed some poisonous tablets and lay on bed. When we returned, we saw doctors at home who had been called by my son.”

Harpreet Kaur said Gurjant was taken to a local hospital but despite trying their best, doctors couldn’t save him.

Harpreet said her husband laughed and talked normally and didn’t let anyone know he was planning to take a dire step on Monday.

“I don’t have any knowledge about his debts and the money owed to him by his employers. My children are in school and I don’t know if I would even be able to send them to college. There is no breadwinner in the family and I have never worked. We don’t know how we will make ends meet. I seek help from the government to keep our family afloat,” said Harpreet.

Harpreet’s daughter is 15 years old and is in Class X and her 12-year-old son is in Class IX.