Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ends his indefinite hunger strike

Dallewal announced that he was ending his indefinite fast at a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' organised at Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab.

Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday called off his indefinite hunger strike, which he had launched in November last year seeking a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The announcement came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to Dallewal to end his fast-unto-death. Chouhan also urged farmer leaders to participate in the upcoming dialogue on May 4.

Dallewal made the announcement at a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ held in Sirhind, located in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district.

“You (farmers) all have asked me to end the fast unto death. I respect your sentiments. I accept your order,” Dallewal said addressing the gathering and ending his marathon hunger strike after 131 days.

Dallewal, a senior leader of the joint forum comprising Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), began an indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press the Centre to accept the farmers’ demands.

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