In a sombre turn of events, Balwinder Kaur, a 55-year-old woman farmer hailing from Tarn Taran district, met her untimely demise during the ongoing ‘Rail Roko’ protest at the Shambhu railway station on Sunday. Balwinder’s unfortunate passing marks the first casualty among female farmers since the commencement of the second phase of the farmers’ protest on February 13.
She was part of a group affiliated with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which had joined the protest to bolster numbers amid a decrease in male farmer attendance due to the wheat harvesting season.
Tragically, Balwinder’s death comes in the wake of another farmer’s demise during a protest against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Preneet Kaur in Sehra village near Rajpura on Saturday.
The other deceased farmer, identified as Surinderpal Singh, was from Akkri village near Rajpura. According to farmer leader Tejveer Singh Toor, Surinderpal and fellow union workers were protesting against BJP candidate Preneet Kaur’s visit to the village for campaigning. Tensions escalated as police intervened to prevent protesters from reaching Preneet Kaur’s vehicle. During the commotion, Surinderpal collapsed, and despite efforts to revive him, he passed away.
Farmer leaders demanded accountability for Surinderpal’s death, with some calling for a murder case to be registered against the BJP leader. Amidst the mounting political controversy, various parties and leaders offered condolences while exchanging allegations.
MP Preneet Kaur expressed grief over the incident and cancelled her scheduled campaign activities. However, conflicting narratives emerged, with videos circulating purportedly showing different perspectives of the events leading to Surinderpal’s demise.
The incident sparked outrage among farmer communities, prompting demands for justice and assurances from political figures regarding police action and support for the victim’s family.
As the situation unfolds, tensions remain high, with the incident underscoring the deepening divide between protesting farmers and political stakeholders.