Punjab farmer leader Dallewal ends indefinite fast, vows to strengthen movement
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal announced on Sunday that he would end his indefinite fast, which he had started on November 26 last year, and continue leading the farmers’ movement with renewed strength.
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 (farmers) all have asked me to end the fast unto death. I am indebted to you for taking care of the agitation. I respect your sentiments. I accept your order,” said Dallewal while addressing the farmers’ gathering.
Dallewal is a senior leader of a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM).
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
Punjab