NEW DELHI: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal entered 50th day of indefinite fast on Tuesday pressing for legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.
Since November 26 last year, Dallewal, who serves as the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been observing hunger strike at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana. He has consistently declined any medical assistance and his health has been continuously deteriorating.
Addressing the media, Dr Avtar Singh, who is part of a team from NGO ‘5 Rivers Heart Association’ said Dallewal’s health condition worsened on Monday evening.
His blood pressure dropped and he vomited while lying on the bed, said the doctor.
His condition is deteriorating every day and anything can happen to him, he said.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that it would hear the Dallewal’s plea among others on January 15.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh would hear a plea filed on behalf of Dallewal for a direction to the Central government for implementing a proposal, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021 after the farm laws were repealed.
The apex court would also hear a plea seeking contempt action against the Punjab government authorities for not complying with its directions issued over moving Dallewal to a hospital on December 20 last year.
The top court had asked the Centre why couldn’t the government say its doors were open and it would consider the genuine grievances of farmers protesting over demands, including the legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.
On January 6, the Dallewal met the apex court appointed panel after the Punjab government said the protesting farmers were persuaded to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, who chairs the committee.
Farmers, under the banners of SKM and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
In September, 2024, the apex court formed the committee with the aim to amicably resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers.
The panel in its initial report flagged various reasons for agrarian distress including stagnant yield, rising costs, debts and inadequate marketing system.
Aside from justice (retd) Singh, the committee comprises retired IPS officer B S Sandhu, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma, professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman and Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricultural economist from the Punjab Agricultural University.
