Overview

• 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.