Thousands of farmers gathered at the Haryana borders to pay tribute not only to Shubhkaran Singh but also to all farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing farmers’ protest.
The 22-year-old farmer from Punjab’s Bathinda died during a clash with Haryana Police. Some farmers alleged that he was killed in the tear gas shelling by the police.
“Today, we have organised a candle march to remember Shubhkaran Singh and other martyrs of the Andolan. Tomorrow, we will conduct seminars at both Shambhu and Khanauri borders to raise awareness among farmers about how the WTO is impacting them,” Abhimanyu Kohard, President of BKU Naujwan told India Today.
Pressing upon the need to uproot the World Trade Organization (WTO) and remove India from the global trade organisation, Kohard expressed his stance against the adverse effects.
“On February 26, we will burn an effigy of the WTO, and then SKM Apolitical and other farm unions will hold a meeting. On February 29, we will announce the future course of the protest,” he said.
Responding to a question about how the WTO is causing issues for Indian farmers, Kohard explained, “Earlier, the WTO was the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff, which stipulated a rule that only 10% of the total grain cultivated in India should be purchased at MSP by the government. WTO rules favor Western economies like the USA but not developing economies like India”.
Gurpreet, the sister of the Shubhkaran Singh, said, “We are not greedy for money or jobs; we only want justice. The killers of my brother should be punished.”
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has offered Rs 1 crore compensation and a job for Shubhkaran Singh’s sister.
