CHANDIGARH: As 70-year-old farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal enters the 21st day of his hunger strike, medical experts recommend immediate hospitalization. Politicians from across party lines who are anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are flocking to visit him and enquire about his health to take "emotional advantage from this issue.’’
Among those who visited him today were Punjab Congress President and Member of Parliament Amarinder Raja Warring, AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang, and several other political leaders. Additionally, Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal raised the issue in Parliament.
Congress Member of Parliament from Ludhiana who is also party's state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today visited Khanauri border and met Dallewal.
" Dalewal's condition is very sensitive right now as he has not eaten anything for 21 days, his condition is such that anything can happen any time. He is fighting not for himself but for the farmers and the public, if something happens to him then it will be a loss to the state so he should listen but he said that he is fighting for the people", said Warring.
He added, " I want to warn the central government that if something happens to him (Dalewal) then the people of the state and the farmers of the country will not stop as things can get out of hand. I am not threatening but giving advice. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should come here and talk to the farmers, ’’ said Warring.
After meeting Dallewal, Aam Aadmi Party MP from Anandpur Sahib, Malvinder Singh Kang said, " On one side, the central government is holding a debate on the 75th anniversary of the constitution in the ongoing parliament session, on the other hand, it is the 21st day of hunger strike by farmer leader Dallewal".
" Nothing can be more unfortunate than farmers not being allowed to go to the national capital. I met him (Dallewal) and inquired about his health. The Punjab government is trying to ensure that the centre opens doors for talks with farmers, " he said.
He pointed out that although Ravneet Singh Bittu and Shivraj Chauhan have made statements, the central government has not sent any official communication regarding a meeting with the farmers, nor has any date, time, or venue been set for such talks.
"All these statements are just in the air and the claims of the government but on ground to process has been initiated for any talks. All MPs of the opposition have raised this issue in the ongoing session of the parliament and demanded a discussion on this matter, but till date no positive response from the government,’’ said Kang.
While raising the issue of Dallewal in Parliament today, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal appealed to the Union government to accept the farmers' demands, including making Minimum Support Price (MSP) a legal guarantee, and to save his life.
She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to accept all the farmer demands while repealing the three agriculture laws four years back. " A promise was made to constitute a committee which would consider all the demands of the farmers but despite the martyrdom of 700 farmers during the Kisan Andolan these demands have still not been accepted.’’
Harsimrat said it was unfortunate that despite directions by the Supreme Court to both the State and Centre to persuade Dallewal to end his fast, the centre had deputed a low-level official who had nothing to offer and simply asserted he had come to hear the views of the farmers.
" The AAP government has completely failed to present the enormity of the situation to the union government,’’ she added.
Aam Aadmi Party MP from Sangrur, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, raised the farmers' issue in Parliament and questioned the Central Government about the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double farmers' income by 2022. He said the BJP government owes an explanation to the country on this matter.
He said Dallewal is not fighting for personal gain but for the welfare of the farmers across the nation and has been on hunger strike for 21 days. "We are concerned about his health, and the Central Government should also take this matter seriously," he said.
Hayer pointed out that the Central Government has told farmers they cannot bring tractors and trolleys, and they complied. The government said they could not come in large numbers, so they planned for only 100 farmers to go to Delhi, yet the government still refuses to let them through. "When the farmers are willing to adhere to all government conditions, the government should also respect their demands," he said.
Congress Member of Parliament from Sirsa in Haryana, Kumari Selja urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take immediate action to address the farmers' demands. She said that the government has turned the Punjab and Haryana borders into something "akin to the India-Pakistan border" and instead of addressing the farmers' issues, they are being met with water cannons and tear gas shells.
On the other hand in the farmers in neighbouring Haryana took out a tractor march in Amabla.
Meanwhile, yesterday Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Akali Dal leader Surjit Singh Rakhra and others also met Dallewal.
While the doctors checking on Dallewal, have recommended immediate hospitalisation due to his deteriorating health. However, he has refused to receive any medical treatment.
Sharing details about Dallewal's health, Dr Avtar Singh said, `` As per test reports, the creatinine level is increasing and GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is dropping. Ketones are also on a higher side which means his condition is quite bad. Dallewal has not eaten anything. He is just drinking water, Ketone in urine indicates the body is using fat for energy instead of glucose. Creatinine is a waste product created when muscle cells break down during activity.
Kidneys remove creatinine from the blood and put it in urine. But when kidneys do not work properly, creatinine builds up in the blood. The glomerular filtration rate shows how well the kidneys are filtering.’’
Dr Singh said,`` Dallewal has turned so weak that he could not stand on his own and required support. A few days ago, his blood pressure was recorded in the range of 80/50 which is not a good sign. There is a possibility of cardiac arrest," he said.
Doctors have installed medical equipment at the protest site to monitor the vitals of Dallewal.
A few days ago, Dr Karan Jatwani, an oncologist, visited the Khanauri border to examine Dallewal.
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, who has been associated with Dallewal for a long time, said he had been on hunger strikes five times. "But this time, Dallewal's fast has stretched longer than the 13-day hunger strike by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare in 2011. He had gone on fast in support of farmers' issues in March 2018, January 2019 and 2021, November 2022 and June 2023.’’
He stated that Dallewal would end his hunger strike only if the farmers' demands are accepted, adding, "Dallewal is mentally prepared to sacrifice his life if the Centre refuses to accept the farmers' demands."
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), hails from Dallewal village in Faridkot. Before sitting on the indefinite hunger strike, he had transferred his property to his son, daughter-in-law and grandson. His wife passed away in January this year. He later formed the SKM (Non-political) by involving like-minded farmer leaders.
Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.