Punjab Farmer Leader Detained Ahead of Hunger Strike Over Key Demands

Jagjit Singh Dallewal was removed from the protest site and hospitalized by Punjab Police, citing health concerns, hours before his planned fast-unto-death.

• Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), was detained by Punjab Police early Tuesday and admitted to a Ludhiana hospital, reportedly due to health concerns.
• Dallewal, 67, had planned to begin a hunger strike to demand a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and other farmer-related issues.
• Farmer groups condemned the detention, calling it an attempt to undermine their ongoing protests at the Punjab-Haryana border that have been active since February.
• Punjab authorities stated that Dallewal’s health was the primary reason for his detention, as he has a history of medical issues, including recovery from prostate cancer and a recent bout of pneumonia.
• The farmer unions have vowed to intensify their protests, including a planned ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on December 6, to press for demands such as MSP guarantees, farm debt waivers, and justice for past violence against farmers.

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