Centre invites farmers for talks, Dallewal agrees to take medical aid

After the meeting, Priya Ranjan read out a proposal urging Dallewal to end his hunger strike and inviting farmer leaders for a meeting at 5 pm on February 14 at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26, Chandigarh. The invite was addressed to Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, the coordinator of SKM (NP) and KMM.

“We are deeply concerned about Dallewalji’s health. After meeting leaders of both forums and Dallewalji, the Union Ministry of Agriculture has extended an invitation for discussions with Union Ministers and Punjab Cabinet ministers. This will be in continuation of the meetings held in February 2024,” Priya Ranjan said.

Explaining the choice of February 14 for the meeting, an officer said the code of conduct is in place in Delhi until February 9, and the Union Budget is scheduled for February 12-13. Therefore, a meeting was not possible earlier, officials said.

Dallewal said, “If 121 farmers sitting on hunger strike tell me, I will take medical assistance but will not take any food until the demands, including the most important one seeking MSP as a legal guarantee, are not met.”

Soon after, the 121 farmers on hunger strike urged Dallewal to accept medical assistance, and he agreed. He was then administered a drip.

Apart from Dallewal, 111 farmers from Punjab and 10 from Haryana are on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana. They will also be urged to end their fast on Sunday after a meeting of both farmer union forums.

Kaka Singh Kotra, vice president of BKU Sidhupur, said the protests at both Khanauri and Shambhu border points will continue as usual.

Saturday’s meeting — held in three rounds from 2 pm to 10 pm — was the first direct engagement between the Agriculture Ministry and the protesting farmers, who have been camping at Khanauri and Shambhu since February 13 last year, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

Earlier this month, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian had sought the personal intervention of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and pressed him for a dialogue with the protesting farmers.

In December, Khuddian had written to Chouhan and flagged Dallewal’s deteriorating health. The letter was sent a day after the Supreme Court had pulled up Punjab for not running medical tests on Dallewal.

Dallewal had refused medical assistance when Mayank Mishra, Director in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, met him in December.

Meanwhile, according to doctors, Dallewal has lost over 20 kg weight and his health continues to deteriorate.