After 131 days, 70-year-old farmer Leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ends historic hunger strike | WATCH

Punjab: Agricultural leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ended his fast on a Kisan Mahapanchayat at Fatehgarh Sahib on Sunday (April 6). Dallewal's 131-day fast was seen on Saturday, when his close aides welcomed the appeal made by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to persuade Dallewal to end his fast. Following Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state minister Ravneet Singh Bittu had also requested Dallewal to call off the fast..

WhyJagjit Singh stopped hunger strike?

"Although I had wished to continue my fast until our 12 demands were fulfilled, since more appeals were being received that I should go to different states to organize farmers at the national level, I have decided to accept those appeals.". He further added, "The fight to legally provide the minimum support price (MSP) of crops will go on. Under such circumstances, we have to be ready for this. If the situation demands, we will again start the march at a suitable time.

Indignation towards the central government and determination to carry on the struggle

Dallewal also said he would attend the proposed meeting with Union ministers on 4 May, but wondered how one can have faith in the government, which invited farmer leaders to talk and then arrested them. Dallewal, however, clarified that he would go to the next meeting even if he got arrested once again.

 struggles in the peasant movement and Dallewal's commitment

On November 26, 2024, when Dallewal declared his hunger strike, he was taken into custody by the police and admitted to Ludhiana hospital. But later, when they received relief, Dallewal resumed his strike again. On January 18, 2025, a senior Union Ministry of Agriculture official invited him for talks, after which Dallewal began to seek medical assistance, which he had previously refused despite the Supreme Court's request. On March 19, Dallewal and other leaders were arrested after meeting Union and Punjab ministers. But he went on hunger strike and also did not accept water until the arrested leader was let out of jails.

Pressure from the peasants and the ensuing struggle

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar stated that the farmers from a number of states put lots of pressure on Dallewal so that he could go to them. Seeing such pressure, Dallewal ended the fast and decided to be the head of the farmers' struggle. Farmer organisations like the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had issued a call for a Delhi Chalo-2 on February 13, 2024, but were blocked by the Haryana Police through firing tear gas shells.