UP Farmer Dies by Suicide at Ghazipur Border Protest, Leaves Note Accusing Govt

Lucknow: In a heart-wrenching incident, an 80-year-old farmer protesting against the Centre's agriculture laws allegedly died by suicide on Saturday morning at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur--one of the epicentres of the ongoing farmers’ agitation. A handwritten note in Hindi, purportedly left behind by the deceased, said he was unable to bear the "plight of farmers", confirmed the police, who have taken the suicide note into their possession and are verifying it. 

The farmer, identified as Sardar Kashmir Singh Ladi, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, allegedly took his own life by hanging himself in a washroom at the protest site. He reportedly left the suicide note in which he accused the Centre of not paying attention to the farmer’s demands and being responsible for their current condition. He blamed the government for him taking such an extreme step.

Singh wrote that the common people like farmers and labourers were feeling "defrauded" due to the three "black" farm laws and "the worst life is inevitable".  

This happened as the farmers' agitation against the new farm laws entered its 21st day.  

A member of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) told NewsClick that the deceased also expressed his desire in the note that his last rites should be performed on the UP-Delhi border by his grandchildren, who have also been taking part in the protest for past couple of days.

Commenting on the incident, Rakesh Tikait, national spokesperson of BKU, said all the farmers who have died during the protest must be declared as martyrs. "Farmers are sacrificing their lives in support of the farmers' agitation against the Centre's new farm laws so that the government is compelled to listen to the voice of the people, but they are so inhuman that they are not even melting seeing the dead bodies of poor farmers,” he said.

This is the second incident of death of farmers in two days at the Delhi-UP border. Earlier, on January 1, a farmer from Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh died near the Ghazipur border while protesting against the newly-enacted farm laws. The farmer, Galtan Singh (57), was a resident of Bhagwanpur Nagal village in Baghpat district.

Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. Indirapuram DSP Anshu Jain told PTI that as per medical information, the farmer died of a heart attack. The body has been sent to his village.

Galtan Singh's body was wrapped in a BKU flag and Rakesh Tikait paid homage to him. A tribute was also paid to all farmers who died during the protest on the eve of the new year. Later, the BKU supporters took out a candlelight march at the border.