Farmer Leaders' Hunger Strike Hits 3rd Day, Punjab Govt. Faces Pressure for Immediate Talks!

Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu):The Punjab government is currently focused on calming the protesting farmers, even though a meeting held on Wednesday failed to yield any concrete results. It is believed that the government might hold another meeting today to address the issue and ease tensions. However, farmers have made it clear that they will not engage in talks on any issue until their leader, Jagjeet Singh Dallewal, is included in the discussions.

Farmers, who have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border since February over 13 demands, including minimum support prices for crops, have intensified their efforts. As of today, Dallewal, who is 70 years old and suffering from cancer, along with another farmer leader, Sukhjeet Singh Hardojhande, have entered the third day of their hunger strike. Earlier, on November 27, farmers held a heated non-political meeting under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha at the Khnoori border. The meeting focused on securing the release of Dallewal from police custody and devising further strategies to advance their struggle. Leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh were present.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, in a video message, stated that the central government had clarified its position, but the state government and the Chief Minister must also do the same. He pointed out that there seemed to be something suspicious in the government's handling of the situation. The government is reportedly providing Dallewal with food through a tube, raising questions among the farmers, who are demanding clarification on why he was hospitalized. On December 6, farmers plan to march towards Delhi if their concerns are not addressed.

The frustration among the farmers grew after Dallewal was detained on the morning of November 26 while they were staging a protest. This incident triggered a strong response from the farmer leaders, who called for a second phase of the protest. They have given the central government a 10-day window for dialogue, after which they plan to march to Delhi on December 6 if no resolution is reached.