The two farmer brothers, who ended their lives by allegedly jumping in front of a moving train a day ago, had tried relentlessly to overcome the mounting debt — diversifying into vegetable and potato cultivation, dairy farming and even goat rearing.They started cultivating leased land and purchased a tractor on loan to expand their operations. However, low returns and rising input costs pushed them deeper into debt.On Tuesday, Jaskaran Singh (38) and his younger brother Jaswinder Singh (34) were cremated at their native Harineau village here amid grief and anguish.The final rites marked by a rare and heartbreaking sight as both were cremated together on a single pyre.According to villagers, both shared a close bond. On Monday, they allegedly walked to a nearby railway track holding each other’s hands and jumped in front of a passing train, ending their lives.The tragic act is being widely seen as a desperate attempt to escape mounting debt and prolonged financial distress. According to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who attended the cremation, the brothers were burdened with a debt exceeding ?35 lakh. Their father Balbir Singh recounted the family’s gradual decline.“I once had 12 acres and two hardworking sons, but after marrying off my six daughters and facing continuous agricultural losses, we are left with barely five kanals,” he said.“I had waited through six daughters for these two sons. I lost them both — not to illness or accident, but to debt and despair,” he added.Standing as a silent testimony to their struggle is the brothers’ modest three-room house on the outskirts of the village, built on their farmland. In one portion of the house, they kept cows, buffaloes and goats in an effort to supplement their income and reduce expenses.Cousin Kuldip Singh said the brothers tried every possible means to manage their debt, but the burden kept mounting, leaving them mentally exhausted and hopeless.Village sarpanch Gurjit Singh also confirmed that despite multiple attempts to improve their livelihood, they failed to recover financially.The tragedy has left behind a devastated family —their wives, two young daughters aged 8 and 10, and elderly parents — now facing an uncertain future.Calling the incident a stark reflection of the worsening agrarian crisis, Dallewal urged the government to examine the root causes and extend immediate as well as long-term support to struggling farmers. Meanwhile, Gurcharan Singh Brar, executive magistrate, said the district administration would make all possible efforts to assist the family after assessing the details of their debts.