‘Depressed at failure of talks’: Farmer dies by suicide at protest site at Singhu border

In yet another such incident, a farmer died by suicide at Singhu border on Saturday evening.

According to people at the protest site, 40-year-old Amrinder Singh consumed Sulphas tablets, a highly-poisonous pesticide.

A native of Fatehgarh Sahib, Singh was rushed to Frank Institute of Medical Sciences in Sonipat but could not be saved.

According to a protester at the site, Amrinder Singh was depressed with the prevailing situation and the failure of talks between the farmers and the government.

He was last seen in the evening behind the main stage set up for speakers at the protest site. “He consumed Sulphas tablets backstage and came in front of the stage, where he collapsed immediately,” said Baljit, an eyewitness.

So far, over 60 people have died due to various reasons since November 26, when the farmers undertook the ‘Delhi chalo’ campaign. Even the eighth round of talks held on Friday between the government and the farmers’ unions failed to end the impasse as both sides refused to budge from their stance.

On January 3, a farmer identified as Kashmir Singh allegedly hanged himself on Saturday morning at the Ghazipur border protest site, leaving behind a suicide note accusing the Central government of not paying attention to farmers’ demands and being responsible for their current condition, as reported by National Herald.

On December 16, 65-year-old Sant Baba Ram Singh, head of Nanaksar Thath Gurdwara in Haryana’s Karnal district had shot himself at Singhu stating that he was pained by the plight of farmers.

On December 27, a lawyer from Punjab ended his life a few kilometres from the site of the farmers' protest at Tikri border.