Tara Singh, a landless agricultural laborer, allegedly committed suicide on Sunday night at Ghulal toll plaza in Samrala constituency of Ludhiana district.
Sources said that he had consumed the poisonous substance since October 1 last year at the pucca dharna site of Ghulal toll plaza, where he was coming daily to protest against the agricultural laws.
The pucca dharna started in Punjab in October last year. Tara Singh used to visit the dharna site every day and in the evening return to his home in the nearby village of Raule. “Sometimes he would even fall asleep at the dharna site. He did the same yesterday. Nobody knew that he would take such a big step,” said Hardeep Singh Giaspura of BKU Kadian. Tara Singh was also a member of BKU Kadian.
His son Kuldeep Singh is an auto rickshaw driver, while his wife Prakash Kaur has been camping at the Tikri border since the first week of December last year. Kaur started from Tikri on Monday evening when the Bharat Bandh dharna was lifted. “She was serving at the Tikri border, while Tara Singh Ghulal was a committed worker at the toll plaza,” Giaspura said.
Tara Singh’s funeral will take place on Tuesday. BKU Kadian has demanded fair compensation and government job for his family.
Punjab Chief Minister two days ago Charanjit Singh Channi A campaign was started to give jobs to the agricultural laborers and farmers killed during the march. He had given job letters to two families of agricultural labourers.
The farmers said that Tara Singh is upset as the government is not listening to them even after a year of protest. However, no suicide note was recovered from the spot on Monday morning.
The sit-in continued at the same toll plaza as part of the Bharat Bandh. The body of Tara Singh was kept in the mortuary of Civil Hospital, Samrala.
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