Farmers’ organizations have announced a complete shutdown in Punjab on December 30 in support of their demands, including a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops. The bandh call would see suspension of all rail and road traffic, along with the closure of governmental and private institutions. The decision was taken during a pivotal meeting at Khanauri border on Thursday, where representatives from various sectors, including teaching, transport, electricity, ASHA workers, ex-servicemen, professors, journalists’ associations, and trade boards, participated.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher stated that all road and rail traffic, along with government and private institutions, will remain closed during the bandh from 7 am to 4 pm. Essential and emergency services will be exempted, ensuring minimal disruption to critical operations. Public awareness efforts, including installing banners at toll plazas and announcements in villages’ gurudwaras, aimed at ensuring a peaceful and well-informed protest.

Despite the intensity of the bandh, the farmer leaders have assured that essential services will not be hindered. “Medical services, examination schedules, and special events such as weddings will be allowed to proceed unhindered. Travelers heading to airports will also not face disruptions,” said Pandher, reiterating, “Our fight is against injustice, not the common man. We aim to maintain public convenience while amplifying our cause.”

To prepare for the bandh, district-level meetings are scheduled across Punjab on Thursday. Under the public awareness campaign for the bandh, the bus conductors will inform passengers about the closure before issuing tickets. Gurudwaras in villages will also be utilized as platforms to spread the message among people and seek public support for the farmers’ cause.

The bandh is being organized as a peaceful demonstration of solidarity, with a call for unity and discipline from Punjab’s youth and citizens.

Emphasizing the significance of the protest, Pandher said: “This bandh represents farmers’ rights and their fight for a secure future. We urge everyone to respect the decisions made by the farmers’ leadership and contribute to making this peaceful bandh a success.”

Dallewal’s Critical Health

The agitation’s intensity has been heightened by the deteriorating health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for 31 days at the Khanauri border. Dallewal’s fast aimed at pushing for the fulfillment of 13 primary demands, including the MSP guarantee. According to medical reports, Dallewal’s condition is critical, with alarming blood pressure levels and physical weakness rendering him unable to speak, communicating only through gestures.

A medical bulletin issued by doctors attending him highlighted that Dallewal has consumed only water during his hunger strike. His hands have turned yellow due to prolonged fasting, and his overall condition remains precarious.

Dallewal’s close aide and farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar demanded transparency in his health assessment, calling for government doctors to conduct tests and share the findings publicly. “There should be complete transparency…All medical tests, including ketone body analysis, for Jagjit Singh Dallewal ji should be conducted by the government-appointed doctors,” he demanded.

Kohar insisted that the findings of Dallewal’s health reports should be shared with the nation to dispel any misconceptions among the Central and State Governments or constitutional authorities.

SKM Seeks Urgent Meeting with President Murmu to Address Farmer Issues

 Amid escalating farmer protests and farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s critical health condition, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday formally requested an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu to discuss pressing issues such as a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, the National Agricultural Policy Framework, and the deteriorating situation in the agricultural sector.

SKM, in a letter to the President, highlighted the growing unrest among farmers and the urgency of addressing their demands. The organization emphasized the need for immediate intervention, citing Dallewal’s precarious health, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26 at the Khanauri border. The farmer leader, aged 70, is protesting under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

In their letter to the President, the SKM urged for an early appointment to present their concerns. “A delegation of SKM requests an appointment with you at your earliest convenience to share our concerns about the precarious situation and the growing unrest among farmers across the country,” it read.

The SKM believed that dialogue facilitated by the President can pave the way for constructive discussions with the Union Government. Such intervention could be instrumental in addressing the long-standing issues plaguing Indian agriculture and ensuring a resolution that benefits the farming community.

On December 23, farmers from over 500 districts joined the movement, submitting memoranda to the President through district magistrates. These memoranda call for her direct involvement in facilitating discussions between the Union Government and farmer organizations. Protests at district levels have been organized under the SKM banner to amplify these demands.

Among the farmers’ key demands are a legal guarantee for MSP on crops; comprehensive debt waivers for farmers; pension schemes for farmers and agricultural labourers; rollback of increased electricity tariffs; withdrawal of police cases filed against protesting farmers; justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence; formulation and implementation of a National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing, among others.

In addition to MSP, the SKM has reiterated the necessity of a National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. Such a framework would provide a sustainable roadmap for agricultural development, safeguarding farmers' rights while ensuring long-term economic viability for the agricultural sector.

Farmers Question Haryana’s MSP Commitment

The farmers’ movement has also spotlighted the Haryana Government’s recent notification, which promises MSP guarantees for 24 crops. Farmer leaders have questioned the feasibility of such a commitment without the Central Government’s cooperation. “State government agencies primarily purchase for the central pool, funded by the Central Government. Can a state independently finance MSP procurement for all crops?” asked the leaders, urging Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini to provide clarity.

The farmers’ agitation has received widespread support, with Khap Panchayats from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana joining the cause. A Khap Mahapanchayat is scheduled for December 29 at Hisar in Haryana, where further support for the movement is expected to be discussed. Previously, Khap Panchayats in Haryana had announced their backing for the farmers by holding a press conference in Chandigarh.

Political leaders have also taken notice of the farmers’ distress, and criticizing the BJP-led Central Government for its apathetic attitude. On Wednesday (December 25), Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit president Aman Arora, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers and MLAs, met Dallewal to request him to accept medical care while continuing his protest. However, the farmers’ leadership remained steadfast, insisting that the agitation will persist until their demands are met.

The agitation began on February 13, with farmers gathering at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after being denied entry into Delhi. Since December 6, groups of farmers have made multiple attempts to march on foot to the capital but were stopped by security forces in Haryana.