Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Dec.1: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has told the Parliament that the government had “no record” of the deaths of farmers who camped out at Delhi’s borders in protest of three farm rules that have since been repealed.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has no record in the matter and hence the subject does not arise,” Union Minister Tomar replied to the Opposition’s inquiry about whether the Centre will provide financial support to the families of farmers who died during the year-long protest.
Since November 2020, around 700 farmers have died while protesting against disputed agro regulations along the Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders, according to farmer leaders. The deaths were primarily caused by severe weather, disease obtained as a result of unsanitary surroundings, and suicide.
Meanwhile, protesting farmers remain steadfast in their demands, with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) urging the government to meet with farm leaders and discuss all outstanding concerns.
Despite the approval of the Farm Laws Repeal Bill in the Lok Sabha, the SKM has stated that farmers will continue to protest until the government meets their demand for a legal minimum support price guarantee (MSP). They’ve also demanded that police cases against protesting farmers be dropped, as well as compensation for the families of those who died in the protests.
