Dallewal expresses intention to participate in Feb 14 dialogue

Farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast for 79 days, has expressed intention to participate in the February 14 meeting to be held with the Central team in Chandigarh.

Dallewal said this after addressing farmers during the “Kisan Mahapanchayat” at the Khanauri protest site on Wednesday to mark the completion of one-year of the ongoing protest.

“Health issues are not something to be worried about. I will make my best effort and look forward to the meeting with the government panel,” he said. Sources said farm unions had asked the authorities to make appropriate arrangements for the safe travel of Dallewal.

Farm leader Kaka Singh Kotra said, “Since our chief has expressed the desire to participate in the talks, we will discuss the modalities regarding the matter.”

The farm unions protesting at Rattangarh, Khanauri and Shambhu are holding “Kisan Mahapanchayats” to mobilise farmers before the crucial talks with the Central team on February 14.

Dallewal raised the matter of the youths deported from the US. He said they fell into travel agents’ trap due to unfavourable agricultural policies of the government.

“I urge the government to strengthen this sector to stop youths from leaving the country. Majority of the youths deported from the US belong to the farming community. They had migrated to other countries due to lack of jobs and poor wages here,” Dallewal said.

“The US has deported 104 Indians, out of them 30 are from our state. The point is why they had to leave the country. Had the government provided legal guarantee on MSP and initiated other reforms, they might not have been forced to seek illegal routes to go to the US. The agriculture sector has the potential to offer maximum number of jobs,” he added in his five-minute-long address from his cubicle.

KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher welcomed the parliamentary panel recommendation of setting up a mechanism to determine minimum price for paddy residue, similar to the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, to discourage stubble burning. “We have little hope of getting any respite. We have been sitting on the highway for a legal guarantee on MSP for the past one year,” said Pandher.

Farm leader faces cardiac issues, hospitalised

Farm leader Baldev Singh Sirsa was on Wednesday taken to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala from the Khanauri protest site after he faced cardiac issues.

The octogenarian was at the protest site in connection with the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’, when he complained of chest pain and fell unconscious.

The incident took place around 11 am when Sirsa, along with other SKM (Non-Political) leaders, was sitting in the pandal at the protest site.