Punjab farmer leader Dallewal ends indefinite fast, vows to strengthen movement

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday ended his indefinite fast which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.

The announcement came during a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' organised at Sirhind in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district, where the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) gathered to rally support for the ongoing protests.

“You all have said (to me) to end the fast-unto-death. For me 'sangat' (people) is 'rabb da roop' (a form of God). I am indebted to you for looking after the agitation the way I had said. I respect your sentiments,” said Dallewal, who addressed the gathering from a stretcher.

“The 'morcha' (agitation) continues. Even today I do not want to end the indefinite fast but you have asked me time and again (to end fast) and I respect it.

“But I want to ask you and get an assurance that we will have to put up a stronger 'morcha'. The fight is on. The MSP (guarantee) has to be taken and a bigger 'morcha' has to be put up. Do you agree on holding a bigger 'morcha',” he asked the gathering.

“The government is alert and it knows farmers can fight. The way you took care of the 'morcha', the government has seen it,” he said.

He asked the farmers' gathering to raise their hands in a show of support for the agitation.

“Dear friends, your order is like a direction of God,” said Dallewal who was visibly emotional.

“It is not my wish but with a heavy heart, I accept your order,” said Dallewal with folded hands as the grain market reverberated with slogans of 'Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad' and 'Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal Zindabad'.

Dallewal is a senior leader of a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which were spearheading the agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points in support of their various demands.

On Saturday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu also appealed to Dallewal to end his fast-unto-death.

Dallewal had started his indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.

After the Centre invited the farmer leaders for talks in January, Dallewal started taking medical aid at the Khanauri protest site but did not end his fast.

On March 19, Dallewal was detained by Punjab Police and moved between two hospitals in Jalandhar before being rushed to Park Hospital in Patiala on March 24.

He was discharged from Park Hospital in Patiala on April 3.

On March 28, the state government had informed the Supreme Court that Dallewal ended his 123-day-long hunger strike, but the Sanyukit Kisan Morcha (SKM Non-Political) strongly refuted this statement. — with PTI