E-Paper
Farmers protest: 'Dilli Chalo' march resumes on Saturday; fasting farmer leader Dallewal 'unwell'
Farmer Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the group of 101 farmers will march on foot on Saturday in a peaceful manner.
A group of 101 farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha would make another attempt to march on foot on December 14 to Delhi from the Shambhu border.
Farmer Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the group of 101 farmers will march on foot on Saturday in a peaceful manner, reported PTI.
He also said that that the government should hold talks before the farmers intensify stir.
Notably, the protesting farmers had to suspend their foot march to Delhi from the Shambhu border on Sunday after some of them sustained injuries in tear gas shelling by Haryana security personnel, who once again thwarted an attempt by the protesters to go past the Punjab-Haryana border.
According to the farmer unions, they also had to postpone their protest owing to the deteriorating health condition of farmer leader Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, who has been on fast unto death since November 26.
Also Read | Shivraj Chouhan meets farm outfits; why aren’t we invited, ask protesting farmers
Farmer leader Dallewal ‘unwell’
Dallewal fast-unto-death entered the eighteenth day on Friday even as several farmers leaders express worry about this health.
Pandher said that Jagjit Singh Dallewal is not keeping well and that the whole country is worried about him.
“…We are receiving information from Khanauri that Jagjit Singh Dallewal is not keeping well. The whole country is worried about his health except for the PM and Home Minister,” Pandher said, according to ANI. "Neither are they worried about our Delhi March nor are they worried about what's happening in Khanauri... We believe that forming a committee is not a solution to our problem. If the government wants to arrive at a solution, they must arrange talks with us..."
Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Rakesh Tikait also met the farmer leader from Punjab on Friday and called for unity of farmers' groups for a “joint fight”, according to PTI.
“Dallewal ji is our big leader and we are worried about his health, farmers of the entire country are worried,” he said.
"We are worried about his health...the government should take cognizance..It does not seem that Dallewal will take back his fast-unto-death till the time the government does not hold talks and meets their demands," Tikait added.
Also Read | Farmers’ protest: SC dismisses plea to clear road blockade
Tikait also warned that the Centre will have to be shown the might of farmers, and for this, Delhi will not have to be surrounded at the borders like in the previous agitation against now repealed farm laws, but by surrounding the national capital from the KMP (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway), according to PTI.
"The agitation (against now repealed farm laws) ran for 13 months at Delhi's borders... the government once again needs 4 lakh tractors. The agitation this time will be on KMP, we will have to make KMP the borders." "When Delhi will be surrounded, it will be from KMP. When and how that will happen, we will see..," he said.
Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Besides a legal guarantee to MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
