Punjab farmer leader Dallewal's fast-unto-death enters day 17, writes to PM Modi

Jagjit Singh Dallewal wrote an open letter to the PM in which he asserted that ensuring minimum support price is like the fundamental right to live.

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 17th day on Thursday, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he asserted that ensuring minimum support price to every farmer is like the fundamental right to live.

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, abed, on the seventeenth day of his fast-unto-death near the Khanauri Border(PTI)

Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

"I have decided to sacrifice my life to stop the death of farmers. I hope that after my death, the Central government will wake up from its slumber and move towards fulfilling our 13 demands, including a law on MSP," he wrote in the open letter.

Dallewal wrote that if he died, the responsibility would be on the Central government.

A doctor conducted Dallewal's medical checkup and said his condition was deteriorating and he needed to be hospitalised. He has become weak due to the prolonged fast, the doctor said.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha 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.

A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made two attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6 and December 8. They were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana. The protesting farmers would make another attempt to march on December 14.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders Rakesh Tikait and Harinder Singh Lakhowal will visit the Khanauri border on Friday to meet Dallewal.

In a video message, Dallewal said this was a fight for MSP.

"This is a fight for saving the future of Punjab and its water. It is important to win this fight," he said and appealed to people to join the agitation in large numbers.

"The government will agree for talks when it gets to know that their agitation cannot be lifted and farmer leaders cannot be removed from the protest site," Dallewal said.

Later, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar released the open letter to the prime minister by Dallewal, who signed it with his blood.

In the letter, Dallewal mentioned that their agitation has been going on since February 13. "The demands are not just our demands but are promises made by governments at different times."

He expressed disappointment that the Central government has not yet implemented the "C2 plus 50 per cent" formula as suggested in the Swaminathan Commission report.

Dallewal further wrote in the letter that the Centre had made many promises, including ensuring MSP for every farmer, after the 2020-21 agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, but they were still not fulfilled.

"Ensuring MSP to every farmer is like the fundamental right to live. By not making a law on MSP, the Central government is pushing crores of farmers to poverty, debt and death," he wrote.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan urged the Union government to initiate meaningful dialogue with farmers to resolve their pressing issues.

In view of the protest, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta wrote to his Sangrur counterpart, requesting him to immediately provide proper medical facilities to Dallewal and take all necessary action so that it does not have any adverse effect on the ongoing farmer movement at the Shambhu Border in Ambala.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Sandhwan expressed grave concern over Dallewal's health and said that "despite being a cancer patient, Dallewal has continued his fast-unto-death protest, demanding swift government action."

He urged the Centre to persuade Dallewal to end his hunger strike.

Senior Congress leader and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the BJP government must give up its "rigid attitude" and talk to the protesting farmers, as the condition of Dallewal was deteriorating.

Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa asked why was the Union government "afraid" of the peaceful protest.

Meanwhile, Vasu Ranjan Shandilya, an advocate, said he has filed a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking its immediate intervention to protect Dallewal's life "and prevent potential unrest that could disrupt the peace in Punjab and across the nation".

Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.