Farmer leader rejects Punjab speaker’s plea to end fast
BATHINDA : After successfully completing a week of chakka jam or road blockade in Punjab on Tuesday, confident leaders of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have planned to scale up the agitation from Wednesday.
Spearheaded by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on fast unto death for the last four days, SKM has approached unions of different states to burn effigies Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann for his statement that blocking roads has become a ‘riwaj (customary)’ by farmer unions to get their demands fulfilled.
Union’s state general secretary Kaka Singh Kotra said farmer leaders from various states will arrive at the protest site in Faridkot’s Tehna village on Thursday.
“Leaders like Jarnail Singh, Abhimanyu Kohar and Lakhwinder Aulakh are among those who have supported the ongoing agitation of the SKM and they will reach Tehna to decide the future course of agitation. Veteran farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa is also camping at Tehna where Dallewal is fasting,” said Kotra. SKM is holding an indefinite road blockade at six locations in Punjab since November 16 which is affecting commuters for a week. Their demands include more compensation for land acquired for national highway and crop damage due to inclement weather and pest attack, cancellation of cases against farmers for burning paddy residue and bonus for wheat yield loss. Stakes of the Sidhupur faction of the BKU are high as Dallewal started an indefinite fast on his home turf Faridkot after Punjab CM made a scathing attack on the union’s call of chakka jam. SKM leaders said Dallewal is determined to end his fast only after the state authorities implement promises made by the CM in three earlier meetings with unions this year.
Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, who is also the Kotkapura MLA, met Dallewal last night. Sandhwan assured the veteran farmer leader that he would take up the farmers’ demands.
Today, the state authorities sent Amritsar police commissioner Jaskaran Singh to Tehna protest site. But Dallewal remained unconvinced with their response and refused to end fast.
Dallewal’s health condition stable
Kotra said on Tuesday evening that Dallewal’s blood sugar level had improved in the morning and a team of doctors is constantly monitoring his health. “We have appealed supporters to gather at Tehna as the administration may forcibly take him away. He has been advised by doctors to avoid speaking much as his energy level is low,” he added.