Punjab DGP, MHA official request farmer leader Dallewal to end 20-day fast

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav along with Union Ministry of Home Affairs Mayank Mishra on Sunday met farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on fast unto death to press the Centre in support of their demands, enquired about his health and requested him to end his 20-day-long fast. This has been the first meeting between the Union government and a farm leader since talks with farmers remained inconclusive in February. The 70-year-old cancer patient Dallewal has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.After meeting the farmer leader, Yadav told the media, “We came to enquire about the health of Dallewal.”Without mincing words, he said, “We have heard whatever his (Dallewal) demands are. There was no proposal of any kind (over the demands). I came here to hear him and also for implementation of the Supreme Court order.”

DGP Yadav said, “We have appealed to Dallewal that the government has taken note of his situation, and the Punjab government has said that they will talk to Dallewal and his associates and provide them with medical assistance.” “We are trying to ensure that the demands of farmers be resolved and channels of dialogue between the government open. We appealed to Jagjit Singh Dallewal and other farmer leaders and medical facilities have been provided to Jagjit Singh Dallewal. We are trying to resolve the issue in coordination with them,” he said, adding, “Dallewal urged us to put forward our demands.” The meeting comes in the wake of the Supreme Court directing the Centre and Punjab government two days ago to immediately meet Dallewal. The court had further asked to provide him with medical help and persuade him to break his indefinite fast, saying his life was precious. Despite assurances by the government officials, Dallewal remained adamant on continuing with the fast unto death, farmer leaders said. Doctors have advised immediate hospitalisation of Dallewal as due to the prolonged fast he turned weak. Before reaching the protest site, Yadav held a meeting with farmer leaders, including Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande and Kaka Singh Kotda. Haryana security personnel on Saturday lobbed teargas shells to disperse protesting farmers who were attempting to cross multi-layered barricades erected as a preventive step at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana. The police, who were trying to convince a batch of 101 farmers that they should not enter Haryana as they didn't have permission to go to the national capital, and should go back, also used water cannons to disperse them. This was the third attempt by the 101 farmers to march towards the national capital as part of the ongoing protest that has now completed 10 months. Earlier, they attempted to march towards Delhi on December 6 and 8. The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, both in Punjab, since February 13, after security forces stopped their attempts to proceed to Delhi. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has announced to halt trains in Punjab on December 18 to lodge their protest.