CHANDIGARH: Wearing black clothes and placards around their necks stating, in Punjabi, ‘We will attain martyrdom before Jagjit Singh Dallewal’, a group of 111 farmers started their fast-unto-death in support of Dallewal at Khanauri border on Wednesday.The farmers have taken up the protest to further intensify their stir against the Union Government for enacting a law for legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and other demands.The group of farmers started their fast-unto-death after holding prayers as they moved towards Haryana. Then they cut barbed wire and sat on the road. Haryana police have deployed heavy security at the border on the Haryana side.The farmers are emotional and believe that they will sacrifice themselves before Dallewal to support the farmers’ cause. The protestors will be given only water from now on and housed in a tent to protect them from the cold. Farmer leader said that Dallewal’s condition is worsening as his body is not accepting water and is moving towards multi-organ failure. He has refused to take medical aid despite prolonged fasting, causing his health to decline. Doctors attending to Dallewal said his health is deteriorating every day as his ketone level is on the higher side and muscle mass has decreased.Lashing out against the Centre, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, said, ‘the Union government is not paying heed to farmers’ demands. Today, Dallewal’s fast-unto-death entered day 51. The Centre is neither ready to listen to anything nor is it initiating talks nor fulfilling our demands. Farmers are emotional and they have said that they will also follow Dallewal and start an indefinite fast peacefully.’’DSP of Haryana Police Amit Bhatia said that the police held talks with the farmer leaders and they had been told about the imposition of Section 163 of the BNSS in the area.”We are showing utmost restraint and requested the farmer leaders that no such action should be taken that creates a law and order problem,” he said. Farmer leader Kaka Singh Kotra said that he Haryana police had told them of imposition of Section 163 of the BNSS. “We told them the farmers were not heading to Delhi but sitting on a peaceful hunger strike near the morcha site. We told them the administration is free to use force. They can lob tear gas, use cane charge or arrest the farmers but we will continue protest at the site.”On the status of Dallewal’s health, Kohar said it is critical because of the indefinite fast.Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been fasting at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year over the farmers’ various demands including seeking a legal guarantee on MSP for crops.The medical teams of Rajindra Medical College and Mata Kaushalya Hospital, Patiala, have been deployed by the Punjab government for the continuous care of the health of the farmer leader. A makeshift hospital with all emergency medicines and equipment has also been set up near the protest site.
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