Punjab: Farmer leaders’ hunger strike enters 40th day, big gathering in Khanauri today
Punjab: The stage is set for a massive ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ at Khanauri on Saturday, with farmer leaders expecting a gathering of nearly one lakh people, predominantly from farming communities across Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, to converge at the protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The event has garnered significant attention as it coincides with the 40th day of an indefinite fast by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. On Friday, the 70-year-old leader appealed to farmers to gather in large numbers at Khanauri to strengthen the agitation demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
This will be the fourth major show of strength by farmers in less than a month. Intense confrontation was witnessed at Shambhu, the other site of the farmers’ protest, on December 6, 8 and 14 when paramilitary and Haryana Police personnel used tear gas to halt the Delhi march of ‘Marjeevda Jatha’, a group of 100 farmers.
In a 70-second video message, Dallewal said he was appealing to the people of the country, who were part of the fight for a legal guarantee on the MSP, “that they must reach Khanauri as I want to have your darshan”. The farmers, under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The ‘mahapanchayat’ venue, spanning a 4-km stretch along the highway in Khanauri, otherwise known as Punjab’s truck scrap yard, has transformed into a bustling tent city. Farmers were seen chopping vegetables and stacking firewood to accommodate visitors amid the biting cold.
In addition to farmers, a large number of NRIs have joined the protest, contributing food and other essentials.
The security around the main tent housing Dallewal has been tightened even as his health continues to decline. Medical teams monitoring him have warned of fluctuating blood pressure and an imminent risk of multi-organ failure.
Former DIG Narinder Bhargav, who has been mediating talks between the Punjab Government and the farmers since the protest began in February last, held a closed-door meeting with Dallewal for nearly half an hour. While the details of the discussion remained unknown, sources said efforts were underway to persuade Dallewal to shift to a makeshift hospital without ending his fast. The Supreme Court’s recent admonishment has prompted the state government to intensify efforts to resolve the impasse.
Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh and other administration officials also visited Dallewal to monitor his health and explore potential solutions. However, their offer of medical aid was declined by the farmer leader.
