Three women who were participating in the farmers’ protest at the Tikri border lost their lives after being hit by a truck today, on October 28. Another two women have sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment.
“A tipper, carrying dust, rammed into the group of women farmers. Two of them died on the spot. The injured were rushed to the civil hospital and referred to PGI Rohtak for treatment. One of the injured died on the way to the hospital in Rohtak, while two women are reported to be out of danger,” Waseem Akram, superintendent of police, Jhajjar, was quoted.
The driver of the truck, whom the protesters suspect to have dozed off while driving, fled the site following the incident.
It is reported that the victims hailed from Punjab’s Mansa district and were sitting on a divider as they waited for an auto-rickshaw to return to their homes. The incident reportedly occurred at around 6 am near Pakoda Chowk of Bahadurgarh town in Haryana.
The deceased have been identified as Amarjeet Kaur, Gurmail Kaur and Harsinder Kaur.
Satwant Singh, member of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ugrahan, told the press, “The women were returning to their village Punjab as part of rotation. They had been part of farmers’ protests. It is suspected that the accused tipper driver fell asleep at the wheel.”
Farmers have been agitating at the Delhi-Haryana borders for the past 11 months as part of their agitation against the three contentious farm laws. Women’s participation has been significant in the stir which began on November 26 last year.
