Farmers’ Stir 2.0 : 1st casualty as elderly dies of heart attack

In a poignant development during the Bharat Bandh, the ongoing protest against the Centre’s farm laws, the movement witnesses its first casualty as 78-year-old farmer Gyan Singh from Gurdaspur district succumbs to a massive heart attack. The unfortunate incident occurred at the Shambhu barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border, marking the first death in the renewed wave of farmer protests, commonly referred to as Farmer Protest 2.0.
Despite the farmer being rushed to the Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala from the civil hospital in Rajpura in the early hours of Friday, medical efforts proved futile, and Gyan Singh breathed his last within half an hour of treatment.

This tragic event adds a somber note to the nationwide Bharat Bandh called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and various farmer unions on February 16. The SKM has been vehemently advocating for the fulfillment of several demands, including the legalization of minimum support prices (MSPs), further intensifying the ongoing standoff between farmers and the government.
As the news of the elderly farmer’s demise reverberates across the country, it is expected to cast a shadow over the Bharat Bandh activities and further amplify the urgency for resolution between the protesting farmers and the authorities. The incident underscores the emotional and human toll of the prolonged agitation, adding a layer of complexity to the already contentious dialogue between the two sides.

Tear gas shelling, stone pelting at Shambhu border as farmers’ protest continues
The security forces deployed at the Shambhu Border continued to hold resistance to the agitating farmers attempting to enter the national capital as the protests entered the fourth day on Friday.
The police fired tear gas to disperse the farmers while the protestors were seen pelting stones towards the police.
The protesting farmers have been camping at the border points.
Hundreds of farmers and some journalists have been injured as the protestors clashed with the police many a time trying to break the multi-layer barricades.

A third round of talks with the central government ended in a stalemate on Thursday, amid the standoff between the protestors and security personnel on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), said that the government asked for more time to discuss the demands of the farmers in detail.
“We engaged in a detailed discussion, and the government acknowledged the need for dialogue on MSP and shared debts, committing to further discussions. After the discussion, the government said that the demands require a detailed discussion. They have decided Sunday for the next (fourth) round of meeting,” he said. Union Minister Arjun Munda who was part of the government delegation negotiating with the farmer said he was hopeful of a sloution by the weekend.

“A very positive discussion happened between the government and the farmers’ unions. Focusing on the topics highlighted by the farmers’ union, we have decided that the next meeting will take place on Sunday at 6 pm… We all will find a solution peacefully” Munda said. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have given a “Delhi Chalo” call to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands.
Farmers from Punjab began their march to the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.