The Supreme Court of India is set to examine the Punjab government’s actions to provide medical treatment to the ailing farmer leader, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, as indefinite hunger strike entered its 35th day.
The court will take up the matter on December 31, following a recent attempt by Punjab government officials to persuade Dallewal, who is in his seventies, to accept medical aid.
However, Dallewal declined the offer, fearing that accepting treatment could lead to forceful removal from the protest site.
Dallewal and other farmers have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border in Khanauri, demanding, among other things, a legal guarantee for a minimum support price for crops. On December 29, a high-level team from the Punjab government tried to convince Dallewal to agree to medical treatment, despite his ongoing fast.
The Supreme Court, currently on its winter break, will hear the case virtually on December 31 at 11 am.
Earlier, the court expressed concerns over the state’s failure to move Dallewal to a hospital, and on December 28, it reprimanded the Punjab government for not taking stronger steps. The court questioned the intent behind the farmers’ resistance to medical aid for their leader, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
While the court granted the Punjab government until December 31 to persuade Dallewal to seek medical help, it also directed the state to seek assistance from the central government if necessary to ensure compliance.
The court expressed dissatisfaction with the efforts made so far and noted that the government’s actions were not in line with the court’s previous orders, especially the one dated December 20.
The Punjab government reported significant resistance from the protesting farmers, who have encircled Dallewal and blocked any attempts to take him to a hospital. Despite this, the court recognized the efforts made by the state’s chief secretary, advocate general, and the director general of police, granting them more time to address the situation.
The court also instructed the chief secretary and the DGP to file compliance affidavits.
On December 20, the court had left the decision of Dallewal’s hospitalization to the discretion of Punjab government officials and doctors, stressing that it was the state’s responsibility to ensure Dallewal’s health and safety.
Since November 26, Dallewal has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border, as part of ongoing protests organized by farmers under the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. These protests have been ongoing at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, after security forces halted the farmers’ march to Delhi on February 13.
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