Bathinda: Farmer body Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) on Monday demanded compensation, debt waiver and jobs for the widows of two debt-ridden farmer brothers from Faridkot who died by suicide last week.The outfit held protests outside land mortgage banks in Faridkot and Jaito, and urged the government to extend immediate financial relief to the bereaved family. It also asked banks to halt coercive steps against indebted farmers, including proposed land auctions for loan recovery.The brothers — Jaskaran Singh (38) and Jaswinder Singh (34) of Hari Nau village — died by suicide on March 23 by jumping in front of a moving train near Bahmanwala village near Kotkapura, allegedly under the burden of mounting debt.SKM (NP) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the deaths reflected the worsening condition of small and marginal farmers in Punjab and blamed both the Centre and the state govt for failing to make farming viable.He said the Centre had not provided a legal guarantee for MSP based on the C2+50% formula, while the Punjab government had also failed to ensure adequate support despite assurances.According to villagers, the brothers owned around 2 acres of land and also cultivated leased land, but had accumulated debt of over Rs 25 lakh, which they were unable to repay.Dallewal said rising input costs, poor returns and lack of assured procurement beyond wheat and paddy were pushing farmers deeper into a debt trap.Meanwhile, SKM-NP postponed its proposed protest outside the residence of Punjab assembly speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, saying the family was in talks with government representatives.
