After farmer's death at Tikri border, sons to work in fields

Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Jind, March 4

The death of Randhir Singh (51) due to heart failure at the Tikri border on February 5 has unleashed countless miseries on his widow and two children.

The owner of two acres, Randhir was a small farmer from Mohangarh Chhapra village of Jind district.

While his wife Nirmala Devi is recuperating from a paralysis attack and is bedridden, his sons Sandeep Singh (22) and Amit (20) have been left with no other option but to do farming. Besides, they also look after domestic chores.

Sandeep, who holds a diploma in electronics, says he never wanted to do farming, and thus pursued a technical course after completing his matriculation. “While my father was a Class V dropout, my mother is illiterate. They always wanted us to be self-dependent,” he adds.

Sandeep said they never calculated their income from the two acres of land, but it assured enough foodgrain for the family. “The land fulfills our basic needs of grain, vegetables, oil and fodder for the cattle. In a way, agriculture provides us food, but it can’t assure us education and healthcare,” he said.

Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda, who has extended financial help to the family, has assured a job to Sandeep in the private sector.