Patiala: Family of landless farm protester running from pillar to post

PATIALA: The family of 27-year-old Gurpreet Singh of Patiala, who got injured during participation in farmer protest, has been running from pillar to post to get a help for the expenses incurred on his treatment and also demand a government job.
The family claimed to have spent already Rs 14 lakh on his treatment but still Gurpreet is unable to speak and walk properly. However, he is undergoing physiotherapy treatment in order to get his right side body parts functional properly.
While protesting in support of farmers' agitation against three farm laws, Gurpreet along with others were standing on the roadside at a distance from the traffic light near Thapar College in Patiala when a speeding car of an excise inspector rammed into the protesters.
The incident left three people dead and three others including Gurpreet Singh injured.
Gurpreet said to have faced several fractures and brain injuries in the incident and had undergone various surgeries.
Manveen Kaur, who used to protest along with Gurpreet Singh, as a routine, said, “Usually along with other protestors including Gurpreet Singh we used to stand near Thapar College in support of farmers but on the day of incident I wasn’t present as I had some work at home. His father Hari Singh is a security supervisor in the private engineering college while Gurpreet was a clerk and used to participate in the protest to support farmers’ agitation against three laws. He is unable to speak while his right side of body has also turned paralyzed. Despite his permanent disability Gurpreet’s family could not get enough support for his treatment from the government or district administration. The government should help Gupreet's family financially besides getting his entire treatment done free of cost and also give him government job”
Notably, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of 66-year-old Inderjit Singh, a resident of Ranjit Nagar Patiala; 16-year-old boy Paramvir Singh, a resident of Inderpura and 2-year-old Yash, a resident of Ekta Nagar were given by Patiala MP Preneet Kaur while three injured including Gurpreet Singh of Ranjit Nagar, Rahul of Bharat Nagar and Renu Bala of Ekta Nagar who were given Rs 1 lakh each.
Gurpreet’s father Hari Singh, said, “We spent Rs 14 lakh on Gurpreet’s treatment from Columbia Asia where he was rushed immediately after the incident. He got consciousness after two weeks and remained under treatment for long time. Now he has to undergo daily physiotherapy and approximately Rs 1000 daily we have to incur expenses. I am retired army man and we are living hand to mouth. Gurpreet use to say ‘Zameen nahi mere kol par Zameer hai’ (I have no land but conscience). Now he is unable to speak anything.”