Indian farmer leader ends 123-day hunger strike

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a 70-year-old Indian farmer leader, has ended his 123-day hunger strike after months of pressing the federal government to address the demands of protesting farmers.

His decision to end the strike was confirmed by the Punjab state government in a submission to India’s Supreme Court.

Dallewal, a key figure in the farmers’ movement, had been refusing food and water in an attempt to push authorities to respond to the ongoing agricultural protests. The Supreme Court had earlier intervened in December, directing the Punjab government to shift him to a hospital as his health deteriorated.

The protests, which began in February last year, saw thousands of farmers setting up temporary shelters and parking their tractors at demonstration sites. Earlier this month, police cleared these protest sites, removing encampments that had become symbolic of the farmers’ prolonged struggle.

The farmers have been demanding guaranteed minimum support prices for their crops and other agricultural reforms. While the hunger strike has ended, it remains unclear whether the government will make further concessions to the protesters.

With tensions still simmering, farmer unions are expected to announce their next course of action in the coming weeks.