'Morcha will go on', says Dallewal as he ends fast

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on a hunger strike since November 26, 2024 to demand a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops and other issues raised by protesting farmers, ended his indefinite hunger strike on Sunday at the "Kisan Mahapanchayat" in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab.

- Karam Prakash

PATIALA:

"With a heavy heart, I am ending my fast-unto-death. Though I am not in favour of this, I respect the sentiments of thousands of farmers who have appealed to me to end the fast. I want to assure farmers that the fight for MSP will continue. We will fight back with more strength and efforts," said Dallewal, who had been consuming only water and taking minimum medical aid.

He added: "But I want to ask you and get an assurance that we will have to put up a stronger 'morcha'. The fight is on. The MSP (guarantee) has to be taken and a bigger 'morcha' has to be put up. Do you agree on holding a bigger 'morcha'? The government is alert and it knows farmers can fight. The way you took care of the 'morcha', the government has seen it."

The announcement came a day after Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to him to end his fast-unto-death.