New Delhi: A farmer protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws at the Delhi-Haryana border reportedly passed away early on Thursday morning, allegedly due to the biting cold weather. He was found at the Singhu border, one of the sites where thousands of farmers have been agitating for 22 days now, demanding that the Narendra Modi government repeal the three laws in their entirety.
According to NDTV, the farmer was a father a three children aged 10, 12 and 14.
News of the farmer’s death comes less than a day after a Sikh cleric who was supporting the farmers’ protest died by suicide. On Wednesday, a 67-year-old farmer, Gurmeet Singh, passed away after falling ill while protesting at the Singhu border. Another four farmers from Punjab lost their lives on the same day in two separate accidents, while on their way back to their villages in Punjab from the Delhi border.
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More than 20 protesting farmers have reportedly died so far, either at the borders of Delhi or in road accidents en route.
Temperatures in Delhi and surrounding areas have fallen rapidly over the last few days, with Wednesday recording a minimum temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department has predicted both a “cold day” and a “cold wave” in parts of the national capital on Thursday and Friday.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other states have been protesting near Delhi’s borders for the past three weeks, demanding that the Centre’s farm laws be repealed. Talks between the government and farmers have failed. The police has blocked Delhi borders, and farmers have said they will not retreat until the government meets their demands.