22-year-old farmer battles vision loss at GMCH-32, Chandigarh

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, February 16

In the hospital scenes surrounding Davinder Singh Bhangu Shekhupuria, a 22-year-old youth who suffered an eye injury during police action against farmer protesters, a somber atmosphere envelops the corridors as his family members and friends gather to support him.

Inside the eye ward, Shekhupuria lies in pain, his face etched with the traces of the recent trauma. He recently underwent a surgery.

The young farmer now faces the grim reality of potential eyesight loss. His family, including his sister, is by his side at the hospital, anxiously hoping to avert any complications or infections.

Hailing from Ghanaur in Patiala, Shekhupuria, a graduate-turned-farmer, was on the frontline of the farmers’ protest, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) and other essential rights. Despite his young age, Shekhupuria has been a committed participant, having joined the year-long farmers’ protest in 2021 as well. He had also reached Delhi along with the protesters. Shekupuria had given up the chance to settle in abroad for the love of farming.

The demonstration at Shambu border took a harrowing turn for Shekhupuria. On Thursday, he underwent an eye surgery at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, after sustaining an injury during a clash with the Haryana Police.

Shekhupuria’s friend Parminder Singh recounted the moment when Shekhupuria suffered a severe injury to his left eye. “Shekhupuria was walking ahead of us during the protest. In the midst of it, a tear gas shell fired from a drone changed everything. It hit him in the eye and he was covered in blood. A few protesters were seen lifting him. Last time, we stood firm in the protest and never faced such suppression. But this time, it caught us off guard,” his friend added. He is pursuing an MA (Sociology) through distance learning from Punjabi University, Patiala.