SC-appointed panel meets Dallewal, urges him to take medical aid

Chandigarh: A Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee Mon-day met farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast, and urged him to take medical aid.

Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, 2024, over sev-eral demands, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The committee headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh reached the Khanauri protest site at around 3.30 pm and requested the septuagenarian Dallewal to take medical assistance. Dur-ing a hearing in the Supreme Court earlier in the day, the Punjab gov-ernment, through senior advocate Kapil Sibal, informed the bench about the meeting.

The apex court, in September 2024, formed the committee with the aim to amicably resolve the grievances of protesting farmers. The committee also comprises retired IPS officer B S Sandhu, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma, professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman and Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricul-tural economists from the Punjab Agricultural University.

Addressing the media after meeting Dallewal, Justice (retd) Nawab Singh said, “We all repeatedly requested him for medical (help). We want his health to be good.” He said, “I came here today not to say that the agita-tion should end but to say your (Dallewal) health should be good.”

Dallewal told the panel that for him, farm issues came first, his health later, Singh said. He said they can only make a request to him to take medical aid, when asked about the outcome of the meeting. Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 42nd day on Monday, has so far re-fused to take any medical aid despite his prolonged fasting, which has caused his health to deteriorate.

Asked for his response on the farmers’ assertion that the committee has no power and that only the Centre can resolve their issue, members said while the panel has “no authority”, it will submit a “good analysis” to the Supreme Court, which it said was the highest authority. Singh added that the report to the court will be submitted in a phased manner.