A farmer in Punjab who had met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi last month has committed suicide. The 60-year-old farmer Surjit Singh in Dadu Majra (Fatehgarh Sahib District, Punjab), had last month briefed Rahul about farmers’ plight in the state.
The deceased farmer was under debt and could not repay his loan.
The police said Surjit Singh had a loan of Rs. seven lakh that he was unable to pay off due to mounting losses. The farmer’s wheat crop was destroyed by unseasonal rain in March and April.
On April 28, Mr. Singh, in a white turban, was seen explaining the troubles of Punjab’s farmers to Rahul Gandhi, when the Congress vice-president had visited Sirhind on his day-long tour of markets in Punjab as part of visits to several states where farmers are in distress.
Mr. Gandhi had assured Surjit Singh and other farmers he met in Punjab that he would do as much to help them as a leader of an opposition party could.
Though the Centre has announced higher compensation to the farmers who have suffered losses in unseasonal rain and hailstorms in March and April, Punjab farmers say they have received no such money so far.
In Punjab, crop in about seven lakh acres of land was affected.
