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This is an archive article published on January 7, 2025
Dallewal meets Supreme Court-appointed panel, but refuses medical aid
The farm leader’s fast-unto-death entered its 42nd day Monday.
The panel members at Khanauri on Monday. (Express photo by Harmeet Sodhi)
The farm protest impasse continued Monday as the high-powered committee formed by the Supreme Court met fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal who declined medical aid.
The committee’s chief, retired Punjab & Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh, told the 70-year-old leader: “(Supreme Court Judge Justice Surya Kant) is worried about your health. On every date of hearing, he keeps issuing directions to ensure your good health.”
But Dallewal, who is camping at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana, responded that the committee should press the Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre: “I respect Justice Surya Kant but how do I ask him why he does not give any direction to the Centre, when our issue is to be sorted by Centre? When the Punjab Advocate General (AG) asks him to direct the Centre, then Surya Kant ji does not listen. The Union Minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) says if the SC tells them, they will comply with orders. If SC is not ready to give this direction to the Centre, then we do not have hope from anywhere.”
Dallewal said he would break his fast if the Centre accepted the demands of the farmers protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu border points. The demands include a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The farm leader’s fast-unto-death entered its 42nd day Monday.
The discussions on Monday came hours after the Punjab government, represented by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, informed the Supreme Court that the protesters had agreed to a meeting with the top court’s committee — which also comprises former DGP BS Sandhu, economist RS Ghuman, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma and Punjab Farmers’ Commission chairperson Sukhpal Singh.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh then adjourned the hearing on a plea regarding compliance with its directions to the state government to shift Dallewal to a hospital.
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“Somehow, we have been able to persuade the protesting people to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh (who heads the court-appointed panel) at 3 pm today,” Sibal told the Supreme Court. “We are hopeful that there would be a breakthrough.”
The court fixed January 10 as the next date of hearing.
The apex court formed the committee in September 2024 to amicably resolve the farmers’ grievances.
On Monday, Dallewal told the panel: “42 days have passed but I am confident nothing will happen to me. God is with me. I do not require any medical help. I need only one thing: That the government should agree to farmers’ demands, which were promises made by the government. Promises should be fulfilled. If they fulfil our demands, then I will not need medical help. I will break my fast.”
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The farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, 2024, after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces. Dallewal began his fast on November 26, 2024.
The Punjab government has approached the Centre to hold talks with the protesting farmers.
Hearing the matter related to reopening of the Shambhu border again on December 20, 2024, the Supreme Court asked authorities to move Dallewal, who is a cancer patient and has other health issues, to a hospital if necessary. Subsequently, an application was filed before the court accusing the Punjab government of not complying with the December 20 order and seeking contempt-of-court proceedings against the state chief secretary.
Taking up the contempt petition for hearing on December 28, 2024, the court said that it was not satisfied with the efforts made by the Punjab government. As the state government pleaded helplessness, citing apprehension of law and order disruption, the court came down heavily and remarked that its action is tantamount to abetting suicide.
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On the last date of hearing the contempt petition, on January 2, the apex court once again criticised the Punjab government, saying the state’s attitude appeared to be against reconciliation and that its officials were spreading the wrong impression that the court was trying to persuade Dallewal from breaking his fast. It also fixed January 6 for reviewing the actions taken by the state to comply with its direction to shift Dallewal to hospital.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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