Chandigarh: Hours after Supreme Court-appointed committee met septuagenarian farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal - who has been on fast-unto-death for the past 43 days to press for farmers’ demands including minimum support price (MSP) and debt waiver - his health deteriorated on Tuesday.

It may be recalled that the high-powered committee appointed by the top court and led by retired justice Nawab Singh had met Dallewal at Khanauri border of Punjab and Haryana on Monday; Dallewal, who is a cancer patients, has been on fast-unto-death since November 26 last.

Stating that Dallewal’s blood pressure and pulse rate had dropped on Monday night, the doctors attending on him said that though the situation is under control and a doctors’ team is keeping a close watch on his condition. While he has been denying medical treatment, the doctors held that emergency teams stationed close to the farmers’ protest site where Dallewal has been fasting, are on standby.

It may be recalled that while the top court has asked the Punjab government to immediately provide medical aid to Dallewal, the farmer leader has resisted the same though senior officials of the state government have repeatedly visited him. The next date of hearing in the case in the apex court is January 10.

It may be recalled that a large number of farmers have been camping at the at Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana, under the aegis of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) since February 13, 2024, to press the Centre for their demands. They had also repeatedly attempted to take out their ``Delhi chalo’’ foot-march towards Delhi but were stopped by the Haryana police by lobbing teargas shells and using water cannons which left several farmers injured.

AKAL TAKHT EXPRESSES CONCERN

Meanwhile, The Akal Takht has expressed concern over the deteriorating health of farm leader Dallewal. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said though the concept of hunger strike had no place in Sikh tradition and principle, it was highly condemnable that the farm community in a democratic country had to go on fasting for the sake of their rightful dues.

The Jathedar urged the government to adhere to the rightful demands of farmers so that they could return to their homes peacefully.

FARMERS THREATEN TRACTOR MARCH ON JAN 26

Meanwhile, the farm unions on Tuesday also threatened that the farmers across the country would take out a tractor march on March 26. It may be recalled that farmers have already threatened demonstrations on January 10 during which they would burn the effigy of the Central government and on January 13 when they would also burn the copies of draft of the new national agriculture policy.