Shubkaran Singh, the young Punjab farmer who died during protest: what his room tells about him

Shubkaran and his uncle Charanjit Singh cultivated around 20 acres on contract. They also managed livestock, including a bull that the 22-year old took great pride in. He quit studies before completing his Standard 12, and immersed himself in farming, aspiring to be a successful farmer.

Raised by his grandfather after his parents’ divorce, Shubkaran assumed the responsibility of the family, which included two sisters. His grandmother passed away about six years ago. With no contact with his mother and a father who does not keep well, he took charge.

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Though Shubkaran owned only two acres, the most valuable possessions at his home are agricultural implements scattered across the yard. Two manual spray pumps, and a sack of DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertiliser, and three bags of rice are kept in the three corners of his room.

In Shubkaran’s room, the cot at the centre displays neatly folded bed-clothes beneath a fan suspended from an old-style roof supported by wooden beams. Two pairs of boots, one for the fields, are kept behind. (Photo: Special Courtesy)

Access to his home, situated outside the village in the fields, is not easy. Comprising three rooms and a traditional village kitchen, the home brings back memories of the Punjab of the 1990s.

Pointing to Shubkaran’s room, Pala, who is also a small farmer, says, “This is his room. People speak ill of Punjab’s youth, assuming they are spoiled. This was his life — a hardworking small farmer engaged in contract farming to make ends meet.”

In Shubkaran’s room, the cot at the centre displays neatly folded bed-clothes beneath a fan suspended from an old-style roof supported by wooden beams. Two pairs of boots, one for the fields, are kept behind.

The room does not have any pictures of Shubkaran; instead, there are pictures of his sister’s school group and relatives who have passed away. With his younger sister in shock, villagers attend to four buffaloes and five calves in their house.

Mahinder Singh, another village friend, said, “Shubkaran always stood at the forefront whenever Bhartiya Kisan Union Sidhupur called for protests or gatherings. He believed it was the responsibility of farmers to actively participate and secure their rights.”

Upon hearing the news on social media, Shubkaran’s uncle Charanjit Singh left for Patiala. Another uncle Baljeet Singh who reached Rajindra Hospital Patiala, said Shubhkaran used to participate in farm agitations and had participated in the protests during the agitation against the now repealed farm laws. Shubkaran’s father Charanjit Singh, Baljeet said, worked as “a conductor in a school van which ferried school children to Pakhoke village”.