Chandigarh, Jan 14 (PTI) Further intensifying their stir against the Centre in support of their various demands, protesting Punjab farmers have said a ‘jatha’ of 111 farmers wearing black clothes will start their fast-unto-death from Wednesday.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s fast-unto-death reached the 50th day on Tuesday with farmer leaders saying he was having difficulty in drinking water. His body is still not accepting water and is moving towards “multi-organ failure”, which is worrisome, they said.
The farmers had earlier said Dallewal had not been eating anything and was just surviving on water.
Doctors attending to Dallewal said his health is “deteriorating” every day. His ketone level is on the higher side and muscle mass has decreased, they said.
Addressing the media at the Khanauri protest site on Tuesday, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said a group of 111 farmers will sit on a fast-unto-death from Wednesday at 2 pm. Wearing black clothes, they will squat near the police barricading peacefully.
The farmers are very emotional and they believe that they will sacrifice themselves before Dallewal’s sacrifice, he said.
Farmer leaders lashed out at the Centre for not paying heed to farmers’ demands including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year over the farmers’ various demands including seeking a legal guarantee on MSP for crops.
Dallewal has so far refused to take any medical aid despite his prolonged fasting, which has caused his health to worsen.
A group of farmers from Kaithal district of Haryana reached the Khanauri border point in support of Dallewal.
The representatives of Haryana Vyapar Mandal, under the leadership of Bajrang Das Garg, reached the Kisan Morcha to support Dallewal, they said.
On Monday, Dallewal had written to various religious leaders and saints, urging them to impress upon the central government to accept the farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee to MSP for crops.
The farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. PTI CHS KSS KSS
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