New Delhi: Tragedy and escalating protests have gripped Punjab as the state’s farmers continue their fight for a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP). The death of 57-year-old Ranjodh Singh, a farmer who allegedly committed suicide at the Shambhu border protest site, has cast a pall of sorrow over the movement fueling the demonstrations.
Singh, deeply affected by the deteriorating health of fellow farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, consumed poison on December 14th and succumbed at Patiala’s Government Rajindra Hospital.
Adding to the mounting pressure, farmers engaged in a three-hour “Rail Roko” protest on Wednesday, disrupting train services across the state. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha organised the blockade. The protesting farmers were seen squatting on railway tracks at numerous locations, including Moga, Faridkot, and Jalandhar.
The intensification of the protests is inseparably linked to the alarming condition of Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on day 22 of a hunger strike at the Khanauri border. His health is deteriorating, prompting medical warnings of potential cardiac arrest by the doctors. Dallewal’s relentless fast, demanding not only a legally binding MSP but also justice for injured farmers, has galvanised public support and raised the stakes of the protest.
Dallewal has stated that the farmers will not meet a Supreme Court-appointed committee. The ongoing agitation has now reached over 309 days. In his letter addressed to retired Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Justice Nawab Singh (Committee head), Dallewal said, “As you may already be aware, I have been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border since November 26. Today marks the 22nd day of my strike, and I trust you are apprised of my medical condition. My hunger strike was announced on November 4 by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, which was 43 days ago. Since then, 22 days have passed since the strike began.”
