Entire country needs MSP, Punjab not alone in fight: Dallewal’s message for Centre

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 40th day, said that the morcha will win and urged the gathering to send one trolley from each village of Punjab at the Khanauri protest site.

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Dallewal was addressing the ‘kisan mahapanchayat’, called by the farmer unions at Khanauri protest site near Patiala on Saturday. A massive crowd gathered at the Khanauri border site on the occasion.

This was the fourth major show of strength by farmers in less than a month.

Hours before the ‘mahapanchayat’, Dallewal agreed to undergo an ECG test and his report was stated to be normal.

A makeshift cubical was built on the stage from where Dallewal addressed the crowd. But bringing Dallewal on the stage amid cold weather was a challenge as his blood pressure was fluctuating, said a farmer leader.

Addressing the gathering, Dallewal thanked the people for turning up in large numbers.

Stating that the morcha will win, Dallewal said the police made several attempts to take him but they were foiled by the volunteers. “I do understand that it is difficult to implement legal guarantee on MSP. But it doesn't mean that we should keep sitting and not do anything about it,” he added.

Dallewal said that seven lakh farmers of the country have died due to debt.

Meanwhile, doctors attending upon 70-year-old Dallewal advised that he should not speak much as it could deteriorate his health.

Dallewal also expressed condolences for the farmers who died in the road accident while heading towards the ‘kisan mahapanchayat’. He urged that one trolley from each village of Punjab should be sent at the Khanauri protest site.

Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotda said that a parallel protest at Tohana in Haryana by the SKM (All-India) would have no impact on their protest. He said dense fog in the morning had impeded the journey of farmers and by 2 pm, a majority of them would have arrived at the venue.

On Friday, Dallewal appealed to farmers to gather in large numbers at Khanauri to strengthen the agitation demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Intense confrontation was witnessed at Shambhu, the other site of the farmers’ protest, on December 6, 8 and 14 when paramilitary and Haryana Police personnel used tear gas to halt the Delhi march of ‘Marjeevda Jatha’, a group of 100 farmers.

In a 70-second video message, Dallewal said he was appealing to the people of the country, who were part of the fight for a legal guarantee on the MSP, “that they must reach Khanauri as I want to have your darshan”.

"Now, Punjab is at the forefront again. I request organisations of other states with folded hands to fight agitation strongly in their states and send a message to the central government that this agitation is not of Punjab alone but of the entire country,” he said.

“The entire country needs MSP," said Dallewal, who in between took sips of water and told doctors standing nearby to allow him to complete his speech and not worry about his blood pressure.

The farmers, under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

The ‘mahapanchayat’ venue, spanning a 4-km stretch along the highway in Khanauri, otherwise known as Punjab’s truck scrap yard, has transformed into a bustling tent city.

(With inputs from PTI)