Another Indian farmer commits suicide at Delhi border

A 49-year-old farmer from India’s Haryana, who supported the agitation against the Modi govt’s new farm laws, committed suicide at India’s Tikri-Bahadurgarh border on Sunday.

According to the Indian media, the victim, identified as Rajbir of Hisar district, hung himself from a tree. He was part of the continuing farmers’ sit-in protest being staged at the national border against the three farm laws.

“The victim, Rajbir, hailed from a village in Hisar district. He was found hanging from a tree,” Indian Bahadurgarh City police station SHO, Vijay Kumar said over the phone.

In a note purportedly left behind by Rajbir, it is mentioned that the three farm laws were responsible for him to take the extreme step. He also said that the Centre should fulfil his last wish by repealing the legislation, police said.

Last month, a farmer from Jind in Haryana had allegedly hanged himself from a tree, merely 2 km from the Tikri border protest site.

Hundreds of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been protesting against the three farm laws for over 100 days on the borders of Delhi.

Indian farmers began gathering on Saturday to block a six-lane expressway outside New Delhi to mark the 100th day of protests against deregulation of agriculture markets, to add pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Farmers young and old headed in cars, trucks and tractors to the highway for a five-hour roadblock to oppose three farm laws enacted in September 2020 they say hurt them by opening up the agriculture sector to private players.

Their movement has gained international attention and support, including from celebrities such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and U.S. singer Rihanna, but several rounds of negotiations between farmer leaders and the government have failed.