NEW DELHI: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewalwho has been fasting for 48 days, wrote a letter to several religious leaders, requesting them to ask the central government to meet the farmers’ demands, legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops.
Since November 26 of last year, Dallewal, who serves as coordinator of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Apolitical), has been observing a hunger strike at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana. He has systematically refused any medical assistance and his health has continually deteriorated.
The letter mentioned the ongoing farmers’ protests at Khanauri and Shambhu border points over various demands for the past 11 months.
He mentioned the death of farmer Subhkaran Singh and the injuries sustained by others during police interventions against his protest.
The letter also made reference to a parliamentary panel’s recent recommendation to ensure a legal guarantee to the MSP, stating that such a move would “greatly benefit farmers, the rural economy and the country”.
The implementation of the MSP guarantee legislation would improve the purchasing power of farmers, contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth, according to farmers’ representatives.
The farmers mentioned that during the previous 48 days letters were sent to the Prime Minister, the Vice President and the judges of the Supreme Court, “but no one paid attention to our letter or responded to it.”
“History bears witness to the fact that whenever a government deviates from the right path, saints and religious leaders have worked to bring the government back to the right path.
“We request you to ask the present government to fulfill the promises made to the farmers so that they can get their rights and farmer suicides can be stopped,” he said.
Since February 13, farmers affiliated with SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have set up protest camps at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, after security forces prevented their planned march towards Delhi. .