Dallewal’s Hunger Strike Enters Critical Stage

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike reached a critical stage on 19 Dec where he briefly fainted and prompted doctors to warn that his life now ‘hangs by a thread.’ Dallewal’s fast has since entered its 29^th day. While the Panjab govt. has set up nearby medical facilities, they have reportedly not yet conducted essential tests, leading the Supreme Court of India (SCI) on 19 Dec to sharply rebuke the state’s inaction and demand immediate health examinations for Dallewal. The court compared his situation to that of Irom Sharmila, an activist from Manipur, who continued her 16-year long protest against the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, under medical supervision, urging a similar approach towards Dallewal to ensure his well-being. In a significant observation on the last four years of farmers’ protests, SCI also noted that Dallewal and farmers have never physically confronted the state. Amid this, president of BJP Panjab unit, Sunil Jakhar urged Sarwan Singh Pandher and those close to Dallewal to convince him to call off his fast-unto-death protest because the SCI has taken note of the hunger strike. Pandher accused Jhakar of playing politics, and added that Dallewal’s life can only be saved if the Union govt. listens to their demands. Dallewal’s hunger strike is the latest chapter in Panjab’s history of protests through fasting, following iconic precedents like Bhagat Singh’s 116-day fast in 1929 for prisoners’ rights, Master Tara Singh’s attempt in 1961 for a Panjabi-speaking state, Sant Fateh Singh’s 1966 fast over Chandigarh’s status, Darshan Singh Pheruman’s fatal strike in 1969 for Panjabi-speaking areas, and Surat Singh Khalsa’s extended hunger protest from 2015 to 2023 for releasing Sikh political prisoners.