BATHINDA/PATIALA: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Sunday announced the rescheduling of its planned unity meeting with two protesting farmer forums to January 13, as Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health continued to deteriorate on the 48th day of his hunger strike.
The situation took a tragic turn at the Khanauri protest site, located at the Punjab-Haryana border, when an elderly laborer from a village in Faridkot district, who had been protesting for an extended period, passed away at a government hospital in Patiala.
“Joga Singh, a member of BKU and a landless laborer, is survived by five sons and a daughter,” said Gurdeep Singh Chahal, press secretary of BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur).
Earlier, SKM had decided to postpone the meeting to January 13 following requests from the SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). The venue was also moved from Gurdwara Dukhnivaran in Patiala to Patran town near Khanauri due to Dallewal’s declining health.
The change in plans came on the same day SKM urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate talks with all farmer organizations to address the ongoing protests and take steps to save Dallewal’s life.
