BATHINDA: Farmers’ political front Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) has stated that 27 indebted farmers committed suicide in Punjab in the last two months after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formed the government.
The SSM added nearly 50 persons had died after taking drugs and many murders had also been committed during this time.
SSM leaders Satbir Singh Walia, Ravneet Singh Brar and Arshdeep Singh on Sunday evening said AAP formed the government on March 16, while CM Bhagwant Mann took oath of office on March 16. SSM said they had recorded the details of farmers committing suicide after the formation of the government.
They said two farmers committed suicide on March 17. A farmer ended his life of March 27, then on April 3 and April 11. Then, three farmers committed suicide on April 16, said SSM.
The farmer political front also claimed that farm suicides had also taken place on April 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29. There were suicides on May 6, 13 and 14 too, said SSM.
Of the 27 farmers who committed suicide, nine were from Bathinda, seven from Mansa, three from Moga, two from Patiala, and one each from Barnala, Muktsar, Fazilka, Sangrur, Gurdaspur and Amritsar.
SSM leaders said AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, while interacting with farmers in Mansa on October 28, 2021, had claimed that if the party formed the government in Punjab, it would frame such farmer-oriented policies that farmers would not commit suicide. “But in reality, 27 farmers have ended their lives in 60 days,” said SSM.
Farmer distress had been a major issue in the run-up to state assembly elections in February 2022.
