Sukhdeep Kaur, 17, sitting on a cot in her two-room house, says not a single day goes by when she doesn’t think of her father Dhanna Singh. The 45-year-old died in a road accident in the early hours of November 27, 2020, when he was on his way to the Singhu border to protest against three agricultural laws, making him one of the early casualties of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ morcha, When hundreds of farmers from Punjab and Haryana marched towards the capital.
Now, with the repeal of agricultural laws, Sukhdeep says he misses his father dearly, but this is “not the time for tears. Crying makes you weak. This is a big victory for the farmers which has been made possible due to the sacrifices of many people including my father.
That day, Dhanna Singh, along with 28-year-old Baljinder Singh and a few other villagers, were on their way to Delhi from their village Khyali Chehlan Wali in Mansa district when a truck rammed their tractor trolley from behind. Dhanna came under the tire of the tractor while Baljinder’s left hand got crushed. The 38-year-old driver, Gora Singh, sustained minor injuries.
Baljinder recalls, “After the accident, his family got financial help, but no money can fill the void they are feeling. His children keep saying that I wish their father had suffered the same injuries as me. At least it would have been with him now.”
Baljinder says that he is still undergoing treatment at PGI, Chandigarh for the injured hand.
Dhanna Singh was the village granthi and secretary of the village unit of the Indian Farmers Association, Dakonda faction. His wife Manjeet Kaur, 40, says, “He used to inspire people to be a part of the Delhi Chalo Morcha. We sent him to Delhi with great hope. Instead, it was his body that came back. Though my husband died long before he reached Delhi, my children and I have gone to Singhu and Tikri several times,” said Kaur.
His 14-year-old son Harvinder Singh says, “I too often go on dharnas in Mansa.”
After Dhanna Singh’s death, the Punjab government gave Kaur a job on compassionate grounds – as a peon in a government senior secondary school where Harvinder is in class 8.
With Kaur getting a monthly salary of Rs 18,000, the family decided to give their 2.5 acres of agricultural land on contract to Dhanna’s younger brother. Kaur was also given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh by the Punjab government, Rs 4 lakh by the Haryana government and Rs 1 lakh by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). There was some help from NRIs as well.
with the prime minister Narendra Modi Announcing the repeal of agricultural laws, Kaur says that her husband’s soul will rest in peace. “I’m glad the announcement came on Babaji’s (Guru Nanak) birthday,” she says, as her children vehemently interrupt: “We will fight until the law is actually withdrawn.”
Kaur shook her head. “Yes, we are protesting from day one of the ordinances. I wish PM had understood the sentiments of farmers… so many precious lives could have been saved,” she says, adding, “Zindagi taan jenni hai… bachche kuch vadda kar jaan (Anyway, this is life to be lived. I hope the kids do well) “
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