Amid ongoing farmers’ protests and an indefinite hunger strike by farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking a meeting to discuss their issues.

In a statement released on Thursday, SKM said it wanted to address the situation surrounding Dallewal’s hunger strike and other “urgent issues”, including the introduction of a national policy framework on agricultural marketing.

Farmers demand a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

The farmers, under the banner of SKM (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march towards Delhi was blocked by forces security.

A ‘jatha’ (group) of 101 farmers attempted to march towards Delhi three times between December 6 and 14, but were stopped by security personnel in Haryana.

“A delegation from SKM requests a meeting with you as soon as possible to share our concerns regarding the precarious situation and growing unrest among farmers across the country,” the letter dated December 25 said.

The SKM added that farmers from over 500 districts had submitted memorandums to the President through district magistrates, calling for “urgent intervention” to facilitate discussions between the Union government and all peasant organizations on long-standing demands.

Dallewal (67) has been on a fast unto death at the Khanauri border since November 26, calling on the Center to meet farmers’ demands, including a legally binding minimum support price for crops.

According to doctors from an NGO treating him, he only consumes water and his condition is “critical”. In addition to a legal guarantee for the MSP, the farmers are demanding debt waiver, pension for farmers and agricultural workers, no increase in electricity tariffs, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in 2021.