Mansa farmer dies by suicide at Khanauri

Gurmeet Singh, 52, a resident of Thuthianwali village in Mansa district, allegedly died by suicide at the Khanauri border’s kisan morcha today. He was found hanging from a tent of a tractor-trailer. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

A dedicated member of the kisan andolan since its inception, Gurmeet Singh had been serving as an unpaid electrician at the Khanauri morcha for months. According to Jagjit Singh Dallewal, state president of the BKU (Sidhupur), his devotion to the cause was unwavering, even skipping his son’s wedding to continue his duties.

Dallewal said Gurmeet had expressed concerns about the Union Government’s indifference to farmers’ demands during a meeting on Monday. Despite his worries, no one expected him to take such drastic action.

The BKU leader held the Centre responsible for his death, urging them to take farmers’ demands seriously to prevent similar incidents. The union demands a government job for Gurmeet’s family and will decide on compensation at a future meeting.

His body has been placed at the Samana Civil Hospital mortuary, pending post-mortem examination. His cremation will be attended by Dallewal and other prominent figures.

Gurmeet’s family was equally dedicated to the cause, with his wife, daughter, son, and daughter-in-law joining the morcha for a week after his son’s wedding. Despite being landless, his commitment to the movement was remarkable, earning him love and respect from fellow protesters.