The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has announced a solidarity visit to support the ongoing farmers' protest at the Khanauri border, located between Punjab and Haryana, approximately six kilometres from New Delhi.
The visit is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, with the student body urging members to join the demonstration.
The protest was marked by a hunger strike led by 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had refused food for nearly 45 days. Dallewal’s health has severely deteriorated, with doctors reporting that he is now "unable to speak." Despite medical advice and pleas, he and his supporters have declined medical assistance.
In December, the Supreme Court of India directed the Punjab government to relocate Dallewal to a hospital. The court’s intervention came amidst several petitions concerning the ongoing agitation. However, Dallewal remains steadfast in his protest at the Khanauri border, highlighting farmers' demands for government action.
The current protest began in February 2024, when thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana gathered at the border to push for several demands, including assured prices on certain crops, loan waivers, and compensation for the families of farmers who died during the 2020 farmers’ protest.
In 2020, farmers camped at Delhi’s borders for months, demanding the repeal of three contentious farm laws introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. While those laws were eventually repealed, farmers argue that the rest of their demands remain unfulfilled.
