BATHINDA: The 121 protesting farmers — 111 from Punjab and 10 from Haryana — ended their fast-unto-death Sunday after Union govt agreed Saturday to hold a meeting with farmers’ forums in Chandigarh on Feb 14 to discuss their demands. The farmers had been fasting in solidarity with 70-year-old farmer-activist Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who continued his indefinite hunger strike at Khanauri on Punjab-Haryana border on its 55th day.
Dallewal, a cancer patient, has been on hunger strike since Nov 26, pressing for legal guarantees for MSP among other demands. He agreed Saturday to accept medical aid but maintained he would continue his fast-unto-death, refusing meals until the demands were met.
Farmers from Punjab began their fast on Jan 15, with those from Haryana joining on Jan 17. They had been surviving on water. The fast was broken with juice provided in the presence of Patiala range DIG Mandeep Singh Sidhu and Patiala SSP Nanak Singh.
Sidhu and Singh visited Dallewal in his chamber at Khanauri protest site to check on his health. A panel of eight senior doctors attended to him.
KMM representative Tejveer Singh expressed concern over a video uploaded by US-based Dr Swaiman Singh. His team, operating under the banner of 5 Rivers Heart Association, has been monitoring Dallewal’s health. He warned that Dallewal could not survive without food until Feb 14.
