Farmer Leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal Detained Ahead of Hunger Strike for MSP in Punjab

Bathinda, Punjab: Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of the farmer forum Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non Political), was detained by police early on Tuesday at the Punjab-Haryana border, just hours before he was to begin a fast unto death demanding a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) on all crops. The fast was scheduled to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the farmer struggle that began in 2020, known as the Delhi Chalo movement.

According to sources from Khanauri, where Dallewal had set up his protest camp, a large contingent of police from both Punjab and Haryana arrived around 2 AM and detained him from his tent. Dallewal was reportedly taken to a hospital in Ludhiana shortly after his arrest.

The sudden police action triggered a wave of protests, with farmers gathering in large numbers at the border to voice their opposition. Despite the detention, leaders from Dallewal’s organization, BKU Ekta Sidhupur, have vowed that the fast will continue as planned. BKU Ekta Sidhupur’s vice president, Kaka Singh Kotda, confirmed that the fast will go ahead, and a meeting will be held to discuss further actions.

Sarvan Singh Pandher, leader of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, condemned the police move, calling it “unacceptable” and pledging that farmers will “oppose it tooth and nail.”

For over nine months, farmer organizations have been protesting for a legal guarantee on MSP and have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri since February 13. They are demanding that the government legislate the MSP formula, based on the C2+50% profit margin, to ensure fair prices for all crops.