Farmer leader Dallewal’s fast unto death continues but central government is not affected
The courage of the farmers standing in tents on the roads is high amidst the fortifications of Haryana Police on the Shambhu and Khanori border with Punjab and Haryana and the bone-chilling cold and rain. Here the day starts with Ardaas early in the morning. The face of 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is fasting unto death since November 26 at the Khanori border, may be bent due to fatigue and weakness, but he is not ready to give in to his demands.
The Supreme Court has also expressed concern over Dallewal’s deteriorating health. The Supreme Court has asked the Punjab government why it is not transferring Dallewal to any hospital? Dallewal is not ready to leave the protest site. He says why is the Supreme Court not saying anything to the Central Government. Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav have met him and requested him to end the fast. Dallewal says, “This is not my personal fight, but the fight of MSP. Until this is done, I will not move from here.” Despite warnings from doctors, Dallewal says, “Not accepting our demands means snatching our lives.” A day before joining the movement, Dallewal had transferred all his land and property to his family.
Even after a long fast, the voice of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) President Jagjit Singh Dallewal remains firm. His supporters say that his fast unto death is the biggest proof of the insensitivity of the government. Surjeet Singh, a 65-year-old farmer associated with Dallewal’s union, says, “Dallewal’s fast is not the effort of one person but is a symbol of the strength of the entire farmer community and the fight for their rights. The historic farmers’ movement of 2020-21 was postponed due to the withdrawal of three black agricultural laws, but our main demand is that the central government is dilly-dallying on the legal guarantee of MSP. The painful memories of the last farmer movement are still fresh in our minds. More than 700 farmers lost their lives in that. The sacrifices of these farmers will not go in vain.”
Baljeet Kaur, a 45-year-old farmer from Bareta Mandi in Mansa district, says, “The legal guarantee of MSP on crops is the basis of their economic security. Without MSP, we are at the mercy of market traders as they decide the price of our produce. The central government argues that it is not possible to give legal status to MSP because it will not only put pressure on the government exchequer but will also create instability in the market. Like Dallewal, 50-year-old Harbhajan Singh is also sitting on strike at Shambhu border. He says, “The government always favors the corporates. The hard work of farmers is neither being understood nor appreciated.”
Economist Prof. of Punjab Agricultural University. Ajay Verma says, “If MSP is given legal status, it may be challenging. Dialogue between the Center and farmers is the only solution. “The government will have to find a way to mediate because to legally guarantee procurement at MSP, the government will not only require huge funds to settle the procurement but will also incur additional expenses in storage and distribution.” Farmers are not ready to accept these arguments. His argument is that when the government can invest heavily in other sectors then why is agriculture not given priority? Jarnail Singh, a 72-year-old farmer from Bathinda, says, “If our crops are not safe, our future is also not safe. MSP provides us with a security blanket.”
Meanwhile, the Haryana government has announced the policy of government procurement on MSP for 24 crops. This step taken by the Haryana government with the aim that the agitating farmers of Punjab do not get the support of the farmers of Haryana this time has raised many questions. Haryana farmer leader Baldev Singh said, “In the absence of legal guarantee of MSP, this policy of the Haryana government will remain limited to papers only. The legal guarantee of MSP means that the government will be forced to buy every crop at the minimum support price. The government is avoiding this.”
Former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda says, “The policy of purchasing 24 crops at MSP in Haryana is a betrayal of the farmers by the Nayab Saini government. There are not only 24 crops in Haryana for which the government is claiming to make a policy. Even in this Kharif season, farmers were forced to sell paddy below the MSP.”
On the lines of the farmers’ movement of 2020-21, this movement also does not seem to be moving towards any conclusion. Despite the rebuke of the Supreme Court and the deteriorating condition of Dallewal, the government has not taken any concrete steps. The message of the farmers sitting at Shambhu and Khanori border is clear that they will not bow down. So will the central government bow down to the determination of the farmers?