Chandigarh: Sixty-six year-old farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health remains critical as he enters the 28th day of fast-unto-death in demand of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops.
A cancer patient, the veteran farm leader has lost 15 kgs since he launched his fast-unto-death on November 26, at the protest site in Khanauri, against the centre’s tepid response to farmers’ demand for an MSP law.
The leader fainted on Thursday (December 19), prompting a team of medical professionals from NGO 5 Rivers Heart Association – which had been regularly monitoring him – to warn Dallewal that he was at risk of cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure.
Avtar Singh, a member of the association, told The Wire that Dallewal’s condition has been serious due to the constant drop in his blood pressure and an electrolyte imbalance. “Given his condition, he must be admitted to the hospital. But he is refusing any kind of treatment. He is firm on his stand that either the government accepts the farmers’ demands or he will continue with his hunger protest till his last breath,” Singh said.
On the orders of the Supreme Court, Punjab government on Friday set up a medical board consisting of senior doctors from a government hospital in Patiala district for round-the-clock monitoring. A makeshift hospital has been created at the protest site to deal with any possible emergency.
While an official update on his health is awaited, his supporters said that his health condition continues to be worrisome.
As per the test reports his supporters shared with The Wire, his blood pressure dropped on December 23. The ketone levels in his body, were quite high as per the December 21 test report, making him vulnerable to sudden deterioration in health.
Over the past two days, the leader has interacted with only a few people, as starvation has weakened his immunity, leaving him vulnerable to infection. The increasingly cold weather is also presenting a challenge.
Farmer leader Jagjeet Dallewal during his hunger protest at the Khanauri border. Photo by special arrangement.
From three farm laws to MSP protest
Dallewal, who was among the key leaders behind historic farmers’ agitation against the three ‘Farm Bills’ in 2020-21, is also the catalyst for latest ‘Delhi chalo’ march by Punjab farmers – this time over a legal assurance for minimum support prices for crops.
This time, the protest is under the banner of SKM (non-political) that he formed following differences with the main SKM forum and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), a forum of various farm unions of small farmers and farm labourers in Punjab.
For the last 10 months, the protest has been stalled at the Punjab-Haryana borders at Khanauri and Shambhu. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Haryana government did not let them pass through their state to reach Delhi and revive another farm protest against the central government, also under BJP-rule.
The recent attempts to send farmers from Shambhu on foot were foiled by the Haryana police. Many farmers were injured in the process. While a farmers’ march in Delhi is currently on hold, ahead of a call for Punjab Bandh on December 30, Dallewal continues to sit on a fast-unto-death protest.
BJP government’s apathy
His supporters at the protest site told The Wire that except for water intake, he has not eaten anything for close to a month now, putting immense pressure on his aged body. “The amount of time he has spent continuing with his hunger protest is unprecedented in the history of farm protests in India,” commented his fellow mate Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh.
He added that despite Dallewal’s age and the fact that he is a cancer patient, he has been bearing pain upon himself for the sake of farmers’ welfare. But it is sad that BJP government at the centre has not intervened yet, he added
On Friday (December 20), Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a statement on X over the deterioration in Dallewal’s health. He said it is a matter of great concern and it is the constitutional responsibility of the government to end the fast-unto-death and adopt the path of dialogue.
Kharge added, “When you [Modi] were forced to withdraw the three black laws, you had announced the formation of a committee to give legal status to MSP. The whole country wants to know what happened to that promise? Do not forget that farmers are the backbone of the country and betraying them is betraying the country.”
On the other hand, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar alleged during a press conference on Monday (December 23), that in the past 10 days, several political leaders met Dallewal but no one told him to end his hunger protest. The Kisan outfits, along with politicians, also appeared less concerned about his health.
He mentioned that he would also attempt to convince Dallewal to end his fast, but everyone must move in this direction as his life is at risk.
Responding to Jakhar, KMM convenor Sarwan Singh Pandher in a media statement said that if Jakhar was so concerned about Dallewal’s health, then BJP’s Punjab unit must immediately approach their party top leaders in Delhi to end the prevailing deadlock.
The country’s prime minister and home minister must be convinced to pay heed to the legitimate demands of farmers as they were focusing only on big corporations, Pandher said. If they find a solution to the farmer’s problems, Dallewal’s life will be saved, he added.
