‘Adopt Gandhian way’: SC orders medical aid to farmer leader on indefinite fast

PTI New Delhi: Observing protesting farmers should adopt the Gandhian way, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered immediate medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose health is deteriorating owing to his indefinite fast for over a fortnight at a Punjab-Haryana border. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to immediately meet Dallewal, who has completed over 17 days of fast. “Farmers should not get violent and do peaceful agitation.

They should adopt the Gandhian way of protests because their grievances are being looked into,” the bench said after being informed that violent agitations had created problems at both the sites. The court further asked to provide him with medical help and persuade him to break his indefinite fast saying his life was precious. “It is the bounden duty of the state of Punjab and union of India to take all peaceful measures and provide adequate immediate medical aid to Dallewal without forcing him to break the fast, unless it is imperative to do so to save his life,” the bench said. The top court said it was harsh winters and the agitating farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri borders should not get violent and disrupt highway traffic. The apex court said a high-powered committee constituted by it, which was stated to be doing a good job, would talk to the protesting farmers and make recommendations to the court which eventually be put to the stakeholders for a decision.

“We should not pass any order, which is very difficult to implement. It is the stakeholders, which will ultimately have to take a decision,” the bench said. The protesting farmers, it said, could temporarily shift the venue and clear the highways or perhaps even temporarily suspend the ongoing agitation with a view to enable the committee to make its recommendation followed by due consideration by the stakeholders. It observed the member secretary (high-powered committee) was present in the court and had assured in its next meeting it would persuade the farmers in the light of the court’s suggestions to temporary suspend the protest or shift to another venue. The bench directed the committee to file a short status report to this effect.

During the hearing of the matter, one of the counsel handed over media reports where it was stated Dallewal, a senior citizen, was on an indefinite fast for the last 17 days and his health was deteriorating. It directed, “In this regard the DGP, Punjab and his officers along with the representative of the Centre, if it helps in diffusing the crisis, may immediately meet Dallewal and other farmers leaders who are sitting at the dharna so as to convince them that the first priority as of now should be to provide the adequate emergent medical aid to Dallewal.” Justice Kant told solicitor general Tushar Mehta and Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh to immediately do whatever was needed in this regard. When Singh tried to highlight the issue of over 2,000 farmers surrounding Dallewal, the bench said Punjab government officials were on the ground talking to him, and therefore, efforts should be made to persuade him to end his fast.