121 Farmers End Fast After Dallewal Takes Medical Aid

Veteran fasting leader administered IV fluids to help him recover from acute dehydration

- Karam Prakash

PATIALA: A group of 121 farmers, who sat on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri protest site in solidarity with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, ended their indefinite strike on Sunday after he took medical aid.

A group of 111 farmers had joined Dallewal's fast-unto-death on January 15 and sat on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri. On January 17, 10 more farmers, who were from Haryana, joined them.

The 121 farmers ended their fast by sipping juice in the presence of Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu and Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh.

Dallewal (67), who has refused any aid since he sat on a fast-unto-death on November 26, agreed on Saturday to take medical aid following the Centre's invitation for talks on February 14 to discuss farmers' demands.

A high-level central delegation, led by Union agriculture ministry joint secretary Priya Ranjan, met Dallewal and representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Saturday, and invited them for a resumption of talks on February 14 at Chandigarh.

Dallewal has been administered intravenous (IV) fluids to recover from acute dehydration.