Suicide by the Hari Naon farmer brothers rakes up the issue of the suicides’ of the farmers.
Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur-Ekta) on Monday staged a protest outside the land mortgage bank Faridkot.
The union also staged protests in Kotkapura and Jaitu towns of the district as well.
“The bank in question is allegedly forcing the farmers to pay even after the debts are settled.There is one case which has been decided by the Lok Adalat and debt recovery has been settled at about 13.5 lakh as a final amount.But the bank has asked the farmer to pay more about Rs 7 lakh.The banks deal with the farmers in a non transparent way and ask them to hand them over duly signed cheques.We had given a call to come forwards to the farmers against this dictatorial way of treatment by the bank and we have so far got about 40 such farmers with their complaints,” alleged Dallewal, addressing to the media outside the land mortgage bank Faridkot.
The union had decided to stage protest marches after the suicide of two brothers from village Hari Naon of Faridkot distirct who had thrown themselves on the railway track on March 23.Both of them were killed on the spot and monting debt was allegedly a cause behind the death of the two brothers.
Jaskaran Singh and Jaswinder Singh, had alleegdly committed suicide becasue they had to owe more than about Rs 15 lakh as per Dallewal’s statement.
‘They had bought a tractor, potato crop failed and had owed some loan against them besides paying Rs 6 lakh against the borrowed amount of Rs 5 lakh.Now they have been survived by two young daughters and wives.We want to get justice for them and their secure future,” said Dallewal.
Opposing seizure of property
BKU Sidhupur-Ekta has also announced that it would oppose any move of the Punjab government of the seizure of the property even of the farmers with 20 acres of land.
‘The government has decided to recover loans from the farmers who have got about 20 acres of land by auctioning their land.we are strongly opposed to it.we shall not let it happen.Farner is the farmer howsoever land he owns.The loss falls to per acre of land,” said Bohar Singh Rupian Wala,district president of the union.
The theme of the protest of the union was that the banks allegedly lure farmers into a trap of debt,then take away their legal rights for subsidies and convert loans into other categories,forcing farmers to sign the cheques which are retained by the banks.
The ujnioin alleged that this move forces the farmers to committ suicides.