Who was Shubkaran Singh, the 22-year-old who died at farmers’ stir?

A pall of gloom has descended upon Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border where the farmers are camping out after suspending their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march following the death of one of their own.

The farmers also decided to suspend their march for two days following the news of the 22-year-old’s death during the clash with the police on the Punjab-Haryana border, with farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher saying they will decide the next course of action on Friday evening.

We take a closer look at who was this farmer and what led to his death amid the agitation.

‘A hardworking farmer’

On Wednesday (21 February), as farmers resumed their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, pressing the Centre for their demands , they clashed with the Haryana Police at Khanauri along the Punjab-Haryana border.

Farmers alleged that the authorities fired rubber bullets, besides tear gas shells to disperse protesters, leading to violence, which led to the death of one farmer — 22 year-old Shubkaran Singh.

The young farmer hailed from Baloh village in Bhatinda district and was described by his friends to be ‘hardworking’. According to an Indian Express report, he was engaged in contract farming and also managed livestock, which included a bull that he was very proud of.

Shubkaran, who quit his studies before completing Class 12, was raised by his grandfather following the divorce of his parents. His family also included two sisters and he had no contact with his mother.

Pala, a young farmer and a friend of Shubkaran, told Indian Express, “He was a hardworking small farmer engaged in contract farming to make ends meet.”

According to his friends, Shubkaran also believed in standing up for farmers and actively participated in events to secure their rights. “He believed it was the responsibility of farmers to actively participate and secure their rights,” said Mahinder Singh, another village friend.

Shubkaran, according to one of his uncles, had also participated in the protests against the now-repealed farm laws. And as per reports, when he learnt of the farmers’ plan to march to Delhi on 13 February, he joined them without a second thought.

In fact, an India Today report stated that on Wednesday morning — the day he died — he had prepared breakfast for himself and others at the Khanauri protest site. His fellow protesters said that Shubkaran asked them to sit and have breakfast together, saying that they “might not get another chance to share a meal or sit together”.

Protests and death

Shubkaran’s death came as protesting farmers, who aim to reach Delhi, came face-to-face with Haryana Police personnel at Khanauri. Farmers allege that the cops didn’t allow them to move forward and started firing rubber pellets and tear gas at them.

It is amid this melee that Shubkaran was injured and then rushed to Government Medical College and Rajendra Hospital in Patiala. Harnam Singh, medical superintendent of the institution, was then quoted as telling The Quint: “He was already dead when he was brought to the hospital around 3 pm. He suffered bullet injuries in his head. We would know more details about the injury and the nature of the bullet only after the post-mortem.”

Other farmer leaders also confirmed Shubkaran’s death with Baldev Singh Sirsa also alleging that the 22-year-old was shot in the head. Pandher too alleged, “He sustained a bullet injury on his head,” and said that the agitating farmers had decided to call off their march for two days and take a decision then.

However, the Haryana Police rejected the claim of Shubkaran’s death. “According to the information received so far, no farmer has died today at the farmers’ protest. This is just a rumour. There is information about two policemen and one protestor being injured at the Khanauri border who are undergoing treatment,” the police said.

The authorities further alleged that it was the farmers who had sprayed chilli power in the stubble and set it on fire. “At least 12 police personnel were injured in the process,” they wrote in a post on X.

Condolences and condemnation

Political leaders across the board condemned the death of the 22-year old, with Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann saying that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for it. “After post mortem, a case will be registered. Those officials responsible for his death will have to face stringent action,” said Mann in a video message.

Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also mourned the loss of the farmer, saying: “Was it for this very day that we fought for freedom, that one day the governments elected by us in our own country will martyr our own sons like the British? We are completely with Shubkaran and will ensure strict punishment to his murderers.”

Please also read:

‘Delhi Chalo’: How the ongoing farmers’ protest is different from the 2020-21 stir

What does farmers’ protest mean for India ahead of 2024 polls?

Congress’ Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge used the death to criticise the Centre. In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, “When farmers’ lives will not be saved…Then, how will India remain silent?”

“The death of young farmer Shubkaran Singh of Bathinda due to firing on Khanauri border is very painful,” he said.

“The Modi government has — first taken the lives of 750 farmers, the son of a minister in Modi government crushed farmers with a car in Lakhimpur, it is important to remind that in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh too, farmers had lost their lives in police firing under the BJP government.

“Modi ji himself has called farmers abusive words like ‘Andolanjeevi’ and ‘parjeevi’ (parasites) in the Parliament. The 10 years of BJP rule for farmers - is like a stick on the back and a kick in the stomach. Shame on Modi government,” the Congress president said in the post.

Rahul too came down heavily on the government saying, “One day history will definitely demand an account of the ‘killing of farmers’ from the BJP which is hiding behind the friendly media,” using the hashtag #FarmerLivesMatter.

With inputs from agencies