Who was Gajendra Singh, the farmer who has rattled India's collective conscience

Even as the political blame game over the farmer suicide at AAP’s rally to protest against the BJPs Land Bill in the Parliament continues, many new facts about matter have come up. While we know the name of the farmer, who committed suicide- Ganjendra Singh- in full glare of a few thousand people, which included the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his supporters, farmers and policemen, much else is unknown. So, here are 6 unkown facts about Gajendra Singh, to give you a small glimpse into the person he was and the life he led, before his tragic death.

1)Ganjendra Singh hails from Dausa, a village in Rajasthan, just over 60kms from the state’s capital in Jaipur.

2)Gajendra Singh and his family own about 7 acres of land in which they farm gooseberry throughout the year. Their last crop consisting of wheat and mustard was destroyed due to the untimely rains.

3)His kith and kin from the village claim he and his family weren’t in dire straits or even a desperate need of financial assistance. He apparently heard of the AAP rally and wanted to participate to make heard the plight of farmers across the country.

4)He had reportedly called a relative a few minutes before he plunged to his death, telling her to switch on the television, that he would be on TV in a matter of minutes.

5)His family remembers him as a lively and full of energy. He had a special penchant for tying the Rajasthani safaa (turban), and held a personal record of tying 20 in under a minute. Ironically, it is with one such ‘safaa’ that he ended his life.

6)He had contested elections from his village in 2003 as a BSP candidate. He lost the elections, barely gathering 3000 votes and had to forego his deposit.