Chandigarh: A significant breakthrough emerged in the ongoing farmers’ protest as 121 farmers ended their fast-unto-death on Sunday after their leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal accepted medical assistance, following the Centre’s invitation for talks scheduled for February 14 in Chandigarh.
The 70-year-old Dallewal, who had been surviving only on water since November 26 at the Khanauri border point, finally agreed to receive medical aid after prolonged persuasion from fellow farmer leaders. The development came after a high-level Central delegation extended an invitation for dialogue to address the farmers’ demands.
“It is not a big victory for us, but we were successful in getting a shut door open,” Punjab farmer leaders stated, reflecting on the Centre’s willingness to resume negotiations.
Dallewal, who had steadfastly refused medical intervention, finally yielded to his colleagues’ concerns.
According to farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, Dallewal’s resistance continued until the very end. “We kept requesting him for medical aid, but he refused till the end,” Kohar revealed. Finally, with visible sadness, Dallewal told his fellow leaders, “Do whatever you feel is right.” Subsequently, a panel of eight doctors administered medical assistance through an intravenous drip.
The mass fast had gained momentum on January 15 when 111 farmers joined Dallewal’s protest at the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri. The group expanded further on January 17 with ten more farmers from Haryana joining the cause. The collective fast concluded with the farmers sipping juice in the presence of senior police officials, including Deputy Inspector General Mandeep Singh Sidhu and Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh. Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra characterised the development as a measured success: “We cannot say it is a big victory, but we can say that we made one step forward. We were successful in getting a meeting, and we were successful in getting a shut door open for talks.”
The breakthrough came after Union Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan, leading a high-level Central delegation, met with representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha at the Khanauri border point. While the farmers pushed for an earlier meeting date, government officials explained the February 14 timeline was necessitated by Republic Day preparations and the model code of conduct in force until February 9 for the Delhi assembly polls.Despite this progress, farmer leaders maintained that Dallewal’s indefinite fast would continue until their core demands are met, particularly the legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. They also confirmed their planned tractor march on January 26 would proceed as scheduled.
The current situation follows four unsuccessful rounds of talks between central ministers and protesting farmers last year. Previous negotiations, involving Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai, had reached an impasse when farmers rejected the Centre’s proposal to have government agencies purchase pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP for five years.
The farmers, organised under the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha banners, have maintained their presence at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year. Their attempt to march to Delhi was halted by security forces, leading to the establishment of these protest sites.
The upcoming talks in Chandigarh represent a potential turning point in the long-standing dispute. According to Kohar, the delegation indicated that while initial discussions would take place in Chandigarh, subsequent rounds would move to Delhi.