On 30 Dec, the call for a bandh (shutdown) by farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) Non Political (NP) brought Panjab to a halt (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 52, Story 4). The call was made over several demands, including legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price, debt waiver, a pension scheme for farm labourers, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence and others. Two constituents of SKM–Krantikari Kisan Union (KKU) and BKU Dakaunda (Dhaner)–also supported the bandh. The Panjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (state business unions) opposed the bandh. All major roads in Panjab were closed, 172 train services were cancelled while 232 train services were affected. A large number of shops and industrial units were also closed. Meanwhile, SKM NP leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has entered day 37 of his hunger strike at the Panjab-Haryana interstate border at Khanauri. The border has turned into a garrison site with thousands of volunteers camping to prevent the police from seizing and removing Dallewal. On 27 Dec, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) directed the Panjab govt. to file a compliance report on its 20 Dec order asking Dallewal to be shifted to a hospital. The SCI asked, 'What kind of leaders are allowing Dallewal to die at the spot?’ This is a valid question but the SCI must put it to the Union govt. as well. Dallewal has repeatedly stated he is on hunger strike out of his free will. On 31 Dec, Panjab govt. informed SCI, ‘Dallewal will accept medical aid if the Union govt. accepts his proposal to hold talks.’ KMM and SKM NP have called a Mahapanchayat (big gathering) at Khanauri on 4 Jan.
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