Octogenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday ended his 131-day-long indefinite hunger strike — a symbol of unwavering defiance that began on November 26, 2024, in pursuit of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). Dallewal’s decision, while bowing to the relentless appeals of fellow farmers, came in a powerful and emotionally-charged address at a Kisan Mahapanchayat in Sirhind, with a resolute pledge — the agitation is far from over, and the next battle is only beginning.
Dallewal’s frail yet fiery voice echoed through the grain market grounds as he lay on a stretcher, visibly weakened by the prolonged fast. Yet, his spirit remained unshaken. “It is not my wish, but with a heavy heart, I accept your order,” he told the sea of farmers, some with folded hands, others with tears of gratitude.
“The morcha continues. Even though I end my fast today, the struggle will go on — stronger, louder, and more united. The legal guarantee on MSP is not a choice. It is a necessity, and we will achieve it,” he declared.
The announcement came amidst heightened anticipation of the next round of talks with the Centre, scheduled for May 4. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu had both personally appealed to Dallewal to end the fast, citing serious health concerns.
Bittu, a day before, had made an appeal to Dallewal to end his hunger strike and join talks with the Centre. In a video message, Bittu had said: “Your health is more important, and your life is precious for the people of Punjab as your leadership would always be needed for the struggle of farmers and farm labourers.”
A Fast That Became a Movement
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a senior leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), had launched his hunger strike on November 26 last year — the third anniversary of the 2020 farmers’ protest against the three farm laws, now repealed, that had rocked Delhi’s borders. This time, the demand was crystal clear — a legal framework guaranteeing MSP for all crops.
Through bone-chilling winters, arrests, hospital transfers, and physical deterioration, Dallewal clung to his commitment. Despite being moved between hospitals in Jalandhar and Patiala after a dramatic crackdown by Punjab Police on March 19, he never gave up his fast. On April 3, he was discharged from Park Hospital in Patiala, physically frail but politically resolute.
Even as he lay in hospital, the Punjab Government in the Supreme Court had submitted that his hunger strike had ended — a claim firmly rebutted by the SKM. Dallewal himself clarified repeatedly: “This fast will not end until my people tell me it should, or until the MSP is granted legal status.”
Dallewal’s hunger strike will go down as one of the longest and most symbolic acts of non-violent protest in India’s agrarian movement. It evoked comparisons to the legendary satyagraha campaigns of the freedom struggle — an individual act that became a collective cause.
‘AAP Tried to Save Its Supremo, Not the Farmers’
In his scathing speech on Sunday, Dallewal did not mince words against the Punjab Government, particularly targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
He accused the state of betraying the farmers by forcefully evicting protest sites at Shambhu and Khanauri borders — the epicenters of the 2024-25 agitation. “The AAP Government dismantled our protest to save its supremo. After their defeat in Delhi, they were scared he would be jailed. So, they made a compromised deal to vacate borders and win Ludhiana (West),” he alleged.
“CM Mann didn’t just attack farmers — he stabbed all of Punjab in the back. Women, elderly, and even daughters were slapped. Is this how you treat those who feed the nation?” Dallewal thundered, triggering slogans of ‘Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad’.
Not the End, Just a New Chapter
Though the physical protest sites at Khanauri and Shambhu were dismantled and over 1,400 farmers detained in March’s sweeping police operation, Dallewal made it clear that the fight is not over. “We are not restarting the agitation. It never ended. It is very much alive — in our hearts, in our fields, and in our resolve,” he declared.
Dallewal emphasized that while internal differences exist among various farmer unions, there is unity of purpose when it comes to securing MSP. “This is not about ego or identity. It is about survival,” he said.
He also called on the farming community to prepare for the long haul and a more potent phase of agitation. “This is not a time to relax. This is a time to prepare. The government knows now that farmers can fight, and they will again if needed.”
May 4 Meeting with the Centre
The Centre has scheduled the next round of talks with farmer leaders on May 4. The upcoming dialogue will mark the fourth major engagement between the Centre and farm unions since February, following inconclusive rounds held on February 14, 22, and March 19.
After the previous meeting on March 19, Dallewal, Sarwan Singh Pandher and many others were detained by Punjab Police, leading to widespread condemnation and speculation that the crackdown was a deliberate effort to dismantle the protest ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Union Minister Chouhan’s recent social media appeal reassured that talks would continue uninterrupted. “The ongoing dialogue between the Government of India and farmers’ representatives will continue as per schedule. We wish Shri Dallewal a speedy recovery,” Chouhan posted.
Abhimanyu Kohar, a close aide of Dallewal, appreciated the sentiment expressed by the Union Ministers but added a word of caution, “We are not going to relent. Our stand on MSP is non-negotiable.”
