Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the Center does not have the figures of farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing agitation against agricultural laws, but the Punjab government has confirmed the death of 220 farmers and laborers. So far, the state government has given Rs 10.86 crore as compensation to the families of these farmers and laborers. The farmers’ agitation has been going on since November last year.
220 deaths during farmers protest
The Indian Express quoted Punjab government figures as saying that till July 20, 220 farmers and agricultural laborers had died. Of these, 203 were residents of Malwa, 11 Majha, and six Doaba regions. On the other hand, the United Kisan Morcha says that more than 400 farmers have lost their lives during the agitation. Sources in the Punjab government have said that the rest of the deaths are being verified.
The state government has given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of every farmer who lost his life during the agitation. A maximum of 43 farmers of Sangrur district has died during the agitation. And the government has distributed compensation of Rs 2.13 crore in the district. After Sangrur, 33 farmers have died in Bathinda, 27 in Moga, 25 in Patiala, 17 in Barnala, 15 in Mansa, 14 in Muktsar Sahib and 14 in Ludhiana.
Apart from these, seven, six, and five farmers from Fazilka, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur respectively, four each in Amritsar and Nawanshahr, three and two in Mohali and Tarn Taran, one each from Jalandhar and Kapurthala died during the agitation. Sources said that the process of verification of about two dozen more deaths in different districts is underway and these may also be included in the list of farmers’ deaths during the agitation.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had recently said that his government would also give a government job to a family member of the deceased farmers and the process for the same has already started.
Farmer organizations are also collecting data on such deaths at their level. He says that there have been more than 500 deaths of the movement, of which more than 85 percent of the dead were from Punjab. These figures also include deaths that occurred during protests against agricultural laws in Punjab. The United Kisan Morcha says that farmers of many states have lost their lives during the agitation.
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