The Supreme Court of India on Saturday granted the Punjab government time until December 31 to convince farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to agree to hospitalization.
This unprecedented development occurred during a vacation bench hearing, where Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan sharply criticized the Punjab government for allowing the situation to escalate and failing to comply with earlier orders to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.
The Punjab government, expressing its helplessness, explained that it is facing significant resistance from protesting farmers who have surrounded Dallewal and are preventing his transfer to the hospital.
Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed the bench that a team of medical experts had visited the protest site and attempted to persuade Dallewal to seek medical help.
However, Dallewal refused all forms of aid, including intravenous drips, claiming that accepting medical assistance would undermine the cause of his movement.
This refusal angered the bench, which blamed the state government for its failure to address the situation. The court accused the farmer leaders preventing Dallewal’s hospitalization of committing the criminal offense of abetment to suicide.
The bench emphasized that the Punjab government should take all necessary steps to ensure Dallewal’s safety, even seeking logistical support from the Centre if needed. It also hoped that the state would comply with its directive to shift Dallewal to a hospital.
The bench further noted that Dallewal seemed to be under significant “peer pressure” from the protesting farmers. “Those who are preventing him from receiving medical treatment do not appear to have his best interests at heart,” the bench remarked.
It also questioned the motives of the leaders blocking Dallewal’s transfer, asking, “Are they interested in his life or something else?” The court added that it refrained from making further comments but hoped the Punjab government would follow its instructions.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court expressed grave concern over Dallewal’s deteriorating health and instructed the Punjab government to ensure he receives medical aid. The court had also issued a notice to the Punjab government regarding a contempt petition filed against the state’s chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) for not complying with the previous order to provide medical help to Dallewal.
Since November 26, Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border to press the Centre to address farmers’ demands, including the legal guarantee of a minimum support price for crops. The court’s intervention highlights the critical nature of the situation and the urgency of ensuring Dallewal’s health and safety.
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