Moneylender shoots at farmer

Farmer shot at by moneylender
Tribune News Service

Bathinda,Punjab June 9

A moneylender shot at a debt-ridden farmer hailing from Ablu Kotli village last night. First admitted to the local Civil Hospital, the farmer has now been referred to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala.

Sources said victim Sulakhan Singh had been dealing with Parshottam Lal, a moneylender from Jaito Mandi, for the past many years. The moneylender got the farmer's land mortgaged when debt on the latter increased. He mortgaged seven acres of his land in lieu of a debt of Rs 5 lakh. However, the farmer succeeded in taking possession of his land.

At a panchayat meeting last year, three acres of land was given to the moneylender, while the remaining was retained by the farmer. It was also decided that the instalments of the bank loan availed by the farmer for the land given to the moneylender would be paid by the latter and on full repayment of loan, the land would be mutated in his name.

The sources said the entire episode took an ugly turn last night when Sulakhan Singh and his brother Makhan Singh went to irrigate their field. Parshottam Lal and his aides allegedly fired at the farmer. A gunshot hit on the left side of his chest, the mark of which was clearly visible. The farmer's family members said they fired in the air eight times before injuring him.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060610/punjab1.htm#21


This is not an isolated incident in India , its a every day occurence where our farmers are repeatedly humiliated, cheated and exploitated by criminals like moneylenders and profit hungry corporations.