Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health has deteriorated, with doctors warning that his life is “hanging by a thread”. The 70-year-old has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana for 25 days now.
Dallewal, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) leader, is on an indefinite hunger strike to press the Centre to accept the demands of the protesting farmers, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) on all crops.
Addressing the farmers from the special stage made in view of his deteriorating health, Dallewal expressed heartfelt gratitude to those lending support to the agitation. “I want to tell all of you that I am alright,” he said in a frail voice as another farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar helped him.
“We have to win this battle. This battle will be won only if the whole country fights unitedly,” Dallewal said and appealed to Punjab’s “younger brother Haryana” and other states that “this battle should be fought strongly”.
Farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
A “jatha” of 101 farmers attempted to march to Delhi on foot three times between December 6 and 14 but were stopped by security personnel in Haryana.
Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s Punjab unit leaders held a meeting and condemned the central and the Punjab governments’ “indifferent attitude”, saying they should have intervened by now as Dallewal’s health was deteriorating.
The Supreme Court on Friday raised serious concerns over the deteriorating health of Dallewal. The apex court directed the Punjab government to ensure that Dallewal receives the necessary medical assistance. The Punjab government has formed a high-level medical board comprising senior doctors to provide medical care to Dallewal.
The Punjab advocate general further informed the court that Dallewal had submitted a letter addressed to the Prime Minister when a delegation visited him on December 24. In the letter, Dallewal expressed that he would be willing to cooperate with medical assistance only if the government opened a dialogue with the farmers.
