Punjab Police Chief and MHA Official Urge Farmer Leader Dallewal to Conclude His 20-Day Hunger Strike

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (NationPress) The Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav and Mayank Mishra from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs engaged with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday, who has been on a hunger strike for 20 days to advocate for farmer rights. They checked on his health and urged him to discontinue his fast.

This is the first dialogue between the Union government and a farmer representative since the discussions in February ended without agreement.

The 70-year-old cancer patient, Dallewal, has been protesting at Khanauri, the border area between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26, championing demands that include a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, loan forgiveness, and reforms aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector's conditions.

Post-meeting, Yadav shared with the media, “We came to enquire about Dallewal's health.” He further remarked, “We are aware of his demands, but there is no proposal on the table regarding these. My purpose for being here is to listen to him and ensure compliance with the Supreme Court's directive.”

Yadav continued, “We have appealed to Dallewal regarding the government’s acknowledgment of his situation. The Punjab government has committed to engaging with him and his associates to provide medical assistance.”

“We aim to facilitate a resolution to the farmers' demands and reopen channels of communication with the government. We urged Jagjit Singh Dallewal and other farmer leaders to engage with us, and we have arranged medical support for him. Our goal is to resolve the situation collaboratively,” he added, noting, “Dallewal urged us to present our demands.”

This meeting occurred following a Supreme Court directive two days ago, instructing both the Centre and Punjab government to promptly meet with Dallewal, provide him medical assistance, and persuade him to end his indefinite fast, emphasizing the value of his life.

Despite reassurances from government officials, Dallewal has remained resolute in his decision to continue his hunger strike, according to farmer leaders.

Medical professionals have recommended immediate hospitalization for Dallewal due to significant health deterioration from the extended fast.

Before visiting the protest site, Yadav convened a meeting with farmer representatives, including Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande and Kaka Singh Kotda.

On Saturday, security forces in Haryana deployed tear gas to disperse protesting farmers attempting to breach barricades at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana.

The police attempted to persuade a group of 101 farmers, who were attempting to enter Haryana without permission to reach the national capital, to turn back, even resorting to water cannons.

This marked the third attempt by the 101 farmers to march towards the national capital as part of their ongoing protest, which has now extended for 10 months. Previous attempts occurred on December 6 and 8.

The protesting farmers have been stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, after security forces obstructed their advance towards Delhi.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has declared plans to halt train services in Punjab on December 18 as a further protest measure.