Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has agreed to receive medical aid on the 55th day of his indefinite fast, which he began to demand a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP). The decision came on January 19, after the Union government proposed a meeting to discuss his and the farmers’ demands.
In another development 121 farmers, who had joined the hunger strike on January 15, ended their protest on January 19 after receiving assurances from the government.
Dallewal, whose fast entered its 55th day on January 19, had been refusing any form of medical assistance until this point. He had been protesting alongside other farmers at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 2024, with the aim of securing a legal guarantee for MSP.
The breakthrough came after a delegation from the Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, led by Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan, met with Dallewal on January 18. The meeting included representatives from the non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), who have been leading the ongoing agitation since February 2024.
Dallewal made it clear that while he would accept medical assistance, he would continue his fast until the farmers' demands, including the legal guarantee for MSP, were met.
“If the 121 farmers sitting on hunger strike tell me, I will take medical assistance but will not take any food until the demands, including the most important one seeking MSP as a legal guarantee, are not met,” he said. Shortly thereafter, Dallewal was administered an intravenous drip.
Meanwhile, SKM called off its planned kisan dharna (farmers’ protest) outside the offices of Members of Parliament (MP) on January 20. Instead, the group has opted to send memoranda to MPs via email.
On January 18, the Union government announced that a meeting would be held with protesting farmers from Punjab on February 14 at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh. The meeting, set for 5 pm, will provide a platform to discuss the farmers’ demands.
Farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, who have also been part of the protests, received a proposal from the central government, which they are currently deliberating upon.
The farmers have been camped at the Punjab-Haryana border since February 2024, after their march to Delhi was halted by security forces. Dallewal began his indefinite fast in November 2024, pressing for a legal guarantee for MSP, among other issues. In the past week, 121 additional farmers joined him in his hunger strike.
In response to the ongoing protests, Ranjan expressed concern for Dallewal’s health.
“We are deeply concerned about Dallewal’s health. After meeting with leaders from both forums and Dallewal himself, the Ministry of Agriculture has extended an invitation for discussions with Union ministers and Punjab cabinet ministers. This will continue the discussions that began in February 2024,” he said.