By their blood
THE WEEK|December 05, 2021
For the kin of deceased farmers, neither repeal nor recompense can make up for their loss
SNEHA BHURA
By their blood
Renu Rana from Pakasma village in Rohtak, Haryana, still cannot comprehend why her husband, Jai Bhagwan, consumed poison.

On January 19, Bhagwan had a full breakfast, bid farewell to his wife and 11-year-old daughter, and left for Delhi’s Tikri border in a buoyant mood. He had done this every day for the prior two months; he was part of the protest against the Centre’s new farm laws and would ferry vegetables and milk on tractors to replenish stocks at the protest venues.

But, as evening set in that day, Renu started receiving videos that had gone viral on social media; videos of Bhagwan consuming sulphas tablets after making an emotional speech to a crowd. Reports said that there was a “suicide note”in his pocket, in which he lamented the futility of talks between the government and the farmers.

“How could the media call it a ‘suicide note’?” says Renu. “It was the photocopy of a letter he had already discussed with me. He had listed out issues he felt strongly about. At the hospital the next day, he did not once wish to be saved or express sadness. He said this government was not listening to us while we were alive, perhaps it would listen to a corpse.”

Renu says her husband idolised Bhagat Singh. She breaks down every time she remembers her idyllic life with Bhagwan, whom she met in 2008 through her parents and instantly fell in love with. “He encouraged me to study and work,” she says. “I finished my master’s in political science because of him. He was not the insecure type, even though he was less educated. He was quite intelligent, was good at maths and stayed up to date with current affairs.”

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 05, 2021 من THE WEEK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 05, 2021 من THE WEEK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE WEEK مشاهدة الكل
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024