The Supreme Court of India on Friday took a proactive step to address the health crisis of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a fast-unto-death for over 17 days at the Khanauri border. The bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, expressed serious concerns over Dallewal’s deteriorating health due to his ongoing hunger strike and directed immediate medical intervention.
In a decisive move, the court instructed representatives from both the Central and Punjab governments to meet with Dallewal personally and facilitate the necessary medical care. They were also urged to persuade him to end his fast, emphasizing that his life was of paramount importance. The justices specifically instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Singh to handle the situation delicately and avoid any use of force, unless it was absolutely necessary to save Dallewal’s life.
The court suggested that if required, Dallewal should be transferred to either PGI Chandigarh or a nearby hospital in Patiala for better medical care. Moreover, it appealed to the agitating farmers to consider adopting more peaceful, Gandhian methods of protest and to refrain from blocking highways, thus minimizing disruption and potential conflicts.
This intervention comes amid ongoing tensions at the border points of Shambhu and Khanauri, where farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been staging protests since February 13. Their primary demands include the implementation of a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops, which they argue is crucial for their economic stability.
