The Supreme Court issued a warning on Friday, stating that the Punjab government is accountable for the health of Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for 25 days.
The court emphasized that the government should consider transferring the farmer leader to a temporary hospital where his medical condition can be monitored.
This warning was prompted by Mr. Dallewal’s recent fainting episode, during which he lost consciousness for 8 to 10 minutes, with doctors indicating that his life is in a precarious state.
During the hearing, Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan inquired why Mr. Dallewal had not been moved to the nearby makeshift hospital, located just 700 meters from where he is protesting at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana.
Mr. Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast since November 26, urging the central government to accept the farmers’ demands, which include a legal guarantee of minimum support prices for crops. Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed the court about recent tests conducted with Mr. Dallewal’s cooperation, reporting that his condition seemed stable.
The bench remarked that it is the constitutional duty of the Punjab government to ensure his health is monitored closely, and appropriate arrangements should be established.
Singh also mentioned that a team of doctors has been appointed by the Punjab chief secretary to oversee Mr. Dallewal’s health. The court scheduled the next hearing for January 2 and requested affidavits from the Punjab chief secretary and the medical superintendent of the makeshift hospital by that date.
Additionally, a group of 101 farmers had to cancel their march to Delhi for the third time on December 14 due to the use of tear gas and water cannons, which resulted in injuries to at least 10 individuals.
Similar attempts were abandoned on December 6 and 8. Subsequently, farmers organized a tractor march to the Shambhu border on December 16, followed by a ‘rail roko’ protest in Punjab on December 18.
