Veteran farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ended his 131-day-long hunger strike on Sunday, marking a significant moment in the ongoing farmers’ agitation for a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The announcement came a day after Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu personally appealed to him to end his fast.
Dallewal, the state president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) and joint convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), had begun his fast-unto-death on November 26, 2023, as part of the ongoing agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points. Despite his deteriorating health, he had been surviving only on water and minimum medical support until recently.
Announcing the end of his fast at a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ held at Sirhind grain market, an emotional Dallewal folded his hands before the gathering and said, “With a heavy heart, I am ending my fast-unto-death. Though I am personally not in favour of this, I respect the sentiments of thousands of farmers who have asked me to stop. The fight for MSP is far from over. We will return with renewed strength and determination.”
As chants of “Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad” and “Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal Zindabad” echoed through the venue, Dallewal urged the assembled farmers to prepare for a stronger movement. “Do you agree to holding a bigger ‘morcha’?” he asked, receiving a show of hands in overwhelming support. “The government knows the strength of farmers,” he added, signaling that the agitation will continue with increased momentum.
Dallewal also announced that farmer leaders will attend the scheduled meeting with the Centre on May 4, stating, “If we don’t go, the government will claim we never came forward to discuss our demands.”
He also criticized the Punjab government for its recent crackdown on the agitation. On March 19, farmer leaders were detained by police in Mohali after meeting with a central delegation in Chandigarh. Temporary protest structures at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points were dismantled, and protesters were evicted. “Calling farmer leaders to a meeting and then arresting them is nothing short of backstabbing,” said Dallewal, hitting out at Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Chouhan, in a post on X, reiterated the Centre’s willingness to engage in dialogue. “The ongoing dialogue between the Government of India and farmers’ organisations is continuing. We wish Mr. Dallewal a speedy recovery and request him to end his hunger strike ahead of the May 4 meeting,” he wrote.
Dallewal, who has previously gone on hunger strikes in support of farmers’ causes in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, had drawn national attention for his prolonged fast. A Supreme Court-appointed committee and a team of doctors had urged him to take medical aid, with the court directing Punjab officials to closely monitor his condition.
BKU (Sidhupur), under Dallewal’s leadership, was part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha during the historic 2020 protests against the now-repealed farm laws, before it parted ways following political differences.
Despite ending his fast, Dallewal made it clear that the farmers’ demands, especially the legal backing of MSP, remain non-negotiable and that the agitation is entering a new, more resolute phase.
Sources By Agencies