'Dallewal felt dizzy, vomited; unable to speak today', say SKM and doctors

Chandigarh: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is sitting on a fast-unto-death to press for various demands of farmers, was feeling dizzy and vomited, and is "not even able to speak today", doctors and agitating farmers said on Sunday, the 41st day of his hunger strike.

The 70-year-old has refused medical aid the Punjab government has offered following directions by the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear on Monday a contempt plea against the state's chief secretary and DGP in the matter.

Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh and former deputy inspector general Narinder Bhargav met Dallewal at the Khanauri border point on Sunday, but there was no headway.

Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on the indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year over farmers' various demands including seeking a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Sharing information about Dallewal's health, Dr Avtar Singh, who is part of a team from NGO 5 Rivers Heart Association', said on Sunday his blood pressure fluctuated during a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' at Khanauri the previous day.

"He felt dizzy and vomited when he was being taken back to his tent," said the doctor.

Dallewal was brought to the event in a stretcher to address the gathering of farmers while lying in a bed on a stage at the protest site. During his more than 11-minute address, Dallewal tried to send across a message farmers' welfare was more important than his life.

The SKM (Non-Political) said in a statement on Sunday Dallewal has had multiple episodes of vomiting since Saturday. "He is not even able to speak today," it said.

"Even if Dallewal ends his hunger strike, there is a danger all his organs may not be able to function 100 percent," it added.

Dallewal has not been able to stand properly, so his weight cannot be measured accurately, it further said.

Doctors said Dallewal's glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which shows how well the kidneys are filtering, is dropping.

During the past several days, the Punjab government has made several attempts through officials to persuade Dallewal to take medical aid if he does not wish to break his fast, but he has refused.

A Supreme Court bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh is scheduled to hear Monday a contempt petition against the Punjab chief secretary and director general of police for non-compliance of the order directing medical aid to Dallewal.

The top court had earlier pulled up the Punjab government and said its officials and some farmer leaders were making irresponsible statements in the media over attempts to break Dallewal's indefinite fast.

The court had come down heavily on the Punjab government for not moving Dallewal to a hospital even as it doubted the intention of the agitating farmers for resisting availability of medical aid to their septuagenarian leader.

On December 20, the apex court put the onus on Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on his hospitalisation.

The court said Dallewal, 70, could be moved to the makeshift hospital set up within 700 metres of the protest site at Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana.

The Punjab government has already made it clear it has no intention to evict Dallewal from the present agitation site. Farmer leaders have earlier said Dallewal does not take anything during the ongoing fast except water.

Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Sunday said farmers will observe the Gurpurab of tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh on Monday at the Shambhu border.

Farmers, under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.