The Supreme Court, on Friday, directed the Punjab government to transfer Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a 70-year-old fasting farmer leader, to a makeshift hospital at the Khanauri border for continuous health monitoring. Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan mandated this shift during a hearing, requiring Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Singh to submit an undertaking confirming the relocation.
Dallewal has been fasting since November 26 at the Khanauri border, a key protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border, to escalate farmer demands, including the implementation of a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. His protest is part of a larger movement that has seen farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha camping at border points since February 13, following halted attempts to march to Delhi.
The court’s decision came after Dallewal cooperated with health officials on Thursday, undergoing multiple medical tests including ECG and blood examinations. Advocate General Singh reported to the court that Dallewal’s health is currently stable, but the justices scheduled a follow-up hearing at 2:30 pm to further assess the situation.
This intervention by the Supreme Court mirrors past judicial oversight in prolonged protests involving health risks, reminiscent of civil rights activist Irom Sharmila’s decade-long hunger strike under medical supervision. The court criticized the Punjab government for previously failing to conduct necessary medical tests on Dallewal, emphasizing the need for vigilant health care in light of his indefinite fast.
