NEW DELHI: Farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Thursday wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his fast unto death at the Khanauri border entered day 17.
“I, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, an ordinary farmer of the country, writing this to you with great sadness and a heavy heart,” the letter, in which Dallewal put his thumb impression with blood, said, adding, “A farmers’ movement has been ongoing since February 13 under the leadership of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to fulfill 13 demands, including the MSP Guarantee Law.”
“As per the decision of both fronts (Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha), I have decided to sacrifice myself to prevent the deaths of farmers. I hope that after my sacrifice, the central government will wake up and move towards fulfilling our 13 demands, including the MSP Guarantee Law,” the letter by farmer leader further said.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Addressing Prime Minister Modi, the letter by the farmer leader further said, “You might remember that in 2011, when you were the chief minister of Gujarat and chairman of the Consumer Affairs Committee, you wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, saying that any transaction related to crop purchase between the farmer and the trader should not be below the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP), and a law should be made for this. However, after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, you have not fulfilled your own promise to date.”
Dallewal also referred to promises made during the 2014 election campaign to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula for crop pricing. He mentioned that a commitment was also made in 2018 by then agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis for the same.
“During the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, you said that if you became Prime Minister, you would implement the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula with your first pen stroke. But in 2015, your government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that you cannot implement the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula,” Dallewall said, adding, “After a 32-day sit-in at Cheema Mandi in Punjab, Anna Hazare and I went on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan in 2018. The then agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis handed us a letter signed by Jitendra Singh from the Prime Minister’s Office, stating that the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50% formula would be implemented within the next three months. However, it has not been implemented even after six years.”
The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, along with a debt waiver, pensions for farmers and agricultural workers, no increase in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for those affected by the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Protesting farmers have created a security circle around Jagjit Singh Dallewal to prevent authorities from removing him from the protest site.
Earlier, on November 26, the Punjab Police had forcibly removed Dallewal from Khanauri just hours before he was set to begin his hunger strike.