MUMBAI: NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Sunday suspended his indefinite hunger strike after senior BJP minister Girish Mahajan assured him that the state government would hold a meeting before June 22 to discuss farmers’ demands and arrive at a positive decision on the contentious farm loan waiver issue.Rohit Pawar calls off hunger strike after government assures talks on farm loan waiverPawar, 40, however, warned that he would resume the agitation if the government failed to honour the assurance.The MLA had been on an indefinite fast in Pandharpur since Friday, demanding a blanket farm loan waiver and the removal of conditions attached to the state’s recently announced debt relief scheme, which he said would exclude millions of distressed farmers from its benefits.The breakthrough came late Sunday night when Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan visited the protest site and held discussions with Pawar. During the meeting, Mahajan also spoke to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the phone.Addressing supporters after announcing the suspension of the fast, Pawar said the agitation had succeeded in compelling the government to open a dialogue on farmers’ concerns.“The state government has excluded farmers who benefited from the 2019 loan waiver scheme from the current loan waiver scheme. Instead, they are eligible only for a one-time payment of ₹50,000. We oppose this condition as it will adversely affect around 3.6 million farmers. The minister has assured us that all our demands will be considered at a meeting and therefore we have decided to suspend the agitation for now,” Pawar said.He added that the protest had only been put on hold and not called off.Pawar also announced the formation of a committee comprising farmer leaders and senior political representatives. The panel will participate in the government-convened meeting to discuss the demands raised by him and various farmer organisations.Mahajan sought to reassure the protesters, saying the state government was willing to engage constructively with farmers on the issue.“After speaking with the chief minister, I can say that the government is positive about addressing farmers’ concerns. We will hold a meeting before June 22 to discuss the demands in a constructive manner and work towards resolving them,” the minister said.Earlier in the day, concerns over Rohit Pawar’s health grew serious, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil visited the protest site on Sunday to express his solidarity for the cause and assess Pawar’s condition. Jarange-Patil, who has led several hunger strikes since 2023 during the Maratha quota movement, urged the government to resolve the issue through dialogue.Doctors monitoring Pawar said he was suffering from dehydration, falling blood pressure and declining sugar levels. A medical team advised him to accept saline or Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), but he refused all forms of medical intervention, maintaining that he would not relent without meaningful talks with the government. “The pain farmers are enduring is far greater than mine. I am firm in my decision to continue this strike. I urge the state government to seriously consider this demand,” Pawar had told the reporters earlier on Sunday.A stream of political leaders visited the protest venue on Sunday to extend support to Pawar and the farmers’ cause. Among those present were Maharashtra NCP president Shashikant Shinde, Swabhimani Paksha chief Raju Shetti, NCP (SP) MPs Bajrang Sonawane and Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil and Jayant Patil from the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP).