Dallewal’s indefinite fast enters day 52: 101 farmers to resume Delhi march on Jan 21 — 4th attempt in a month

The jatha of farmers will be led by BKU Doaba state president Manjit Singh Rai and BKU state president Balwant Singh Behramke. Earlier, jathas of 101 farmers each had made three attempts to head towards Delhi on foot — on December 6, December 8 and December 14, last year at the Shambhu border. The far,ers have been camping at Khanauri and Shambhu borders since February 13 last year after security forces in Haryana stopped their initial Dilli Chalo march.

The fresh march plan comes a day after a group of 111 farmers began a fast-unto-death on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri in solidarity with SKM (non-political) coordinator Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered its 52nd day, Thursday.

At Khanauri, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said Dallewal has lost about 20 kgs — from 86.9 kg when he began the fast unto death on November 26 to 66.4 kg now.

Dallewal’s weight was measured through a digital machine, Kohar said, adding there has been a 23.59 per cent loss of his total body weight.

Dr Harinder Singh of Rajindra Medical College in Patiala said Dallewal’s body has a positive ketone level — a higher level of ketone indicates that the body is using stored fat for energy instead of glucose.

Sharing information about Dallewal’s vitals, Dr Singh said his blood pressure was 120/70 and pulse rate was 80. His health is “deteriorating” every day and he is suffering from dehydration, the doctor said.

Dallewal has refused any medical aid during his fasting, which has caused his health to worsen. According to farmers, Dallewal’s ketone level was 6.50 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) as against the normal range of 0.02-0.27. They had earlier said that his body was not even accepting water and whenever he drinks water, he vomits.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Punjab government for a copy of the health reports of Dallewal to be examined for an opinion from the medical board of AIIMS.

Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is not part of the ongoing protests, said they will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deteriorating health of Dallewal and demand that the Centre initiate talks with farmers.

“A series of protest action and interaction with political parties will be undertaken to put pressure on the Union government with the demands of immediately holding talks with all the farmer organisations on the long-pending demands, including MSP and loan waiver, save the life of Dallewal, and immediately withdraw the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing,” the SKM said in a statement.

It further said that SKM will organise Kisan Mahapanchayat in all states. “The respective state coordination committees (SCCs) of SKM will meet immediately to decide the date and venue. A massive Kisan Mahapanchayat has been scheduled on February 11 in Patna,” the statement said.

They also said SKM delegations will meet the chief ministers in different states and urge them to adopt a resolution in the assemblies to “reject the anti-farmer, anti-federal National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM)”. The chief ministers will also be urged to write to the prime minister over Dallewal’s ongoing fast.

“SKM will hold a one-day dharna on January 20 or any other suitable date in front of the residence/office of the respective MPs and urge them to put pressure on the prime minister,” it said, adding the central trade unions have decided to join the January 26 tractor/vehicle/motorcycle parade in support of the farmers’ demands.