121 farmers end their fast-unto-death at Khanauri border as Dallewal takes medical aid

CHANDIGARH: A group of 121 farmers, who sat on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri protest site in solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, ended their indefinite hunger strike today after he took medical aid.
But Dallewal would not end his fast until the law for legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops is enacted. Meanwhile, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) the umbrella body of the farmers union that spearheaded the 2020-21 farmers' protest has decided to send out a memorandum to Members of Parliament (MP) instead of holding a protest outside their offices on January 20 and it will focus on the republic day (January 26) tractor rally and it’s general body meeting called on January 24 at Delhi where further programs and action plans shall be announced.
The farmers ended their fast by sipping juice in the presence of Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Sidhu and Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh. Farmer leaders, however, said Dallewal would not end his fast until a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops is given.
With his health deteriorating and the central government not agreeing to their demands, a group of 111 farmers joined Dallewal's fast-unto-death on January 15 and sat on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri.
On January 17, 10 more farmers, who were from Haryana, joined them.
The 70-year-old Dallewal who has refused any aid since he sat on a fast-unto-death on November 26, agreed on Saturday to take medical aid following the Centre's invitation for talks on February 14 to discuss farmers' demands.
The SKM welcomed the decision of fasting farmer leader Dallewal to receive medical support and wished him a quick recovery and good health.
"The continuous efforts made by SKM leaders for farmers' unity and Pan India agitation against the anti-farmer Union Government has forced the centre to retract from its divisive strategy,’’ the farmer leader added.
The SKM leadership called upon all farmers to respond and rise in protest against the centre and force it to roll back its anti-farmer policies, which were earlier attempted to be imposed through the three now repealed agriculture laws but now again an attempt is being made to impose these laws through the so-called National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM), which is nothing but a plan to handover to a few crony corporates control of agricultural land, agriculture, food supply chain, and food security of the nation.