December 31st 2024.
The Punjab government has provided an update to the Supreme Court regarding farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for over a month. According to the government, Dallewal has agreed to seek medical assistance after the Centre accepted his proposal for talks.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia has taken note of the plea filed by the Punjab government, requesting an additional three days to comply with the Supreme Court's order from December 20. The government's advocate general, Gurminder Singh, stated that "negotiators" have proposed to the Central government that Dallewal is willing to seek medical help if talks are initiated. Therefore, the state government is seeking more time to ensure compliance with the court's directions.
The bench has acknowledged the government's request and stated that they will not comment on the ongoing negotiations or the state's law and order situation. They believe that if a solution is reached that is agreeable to all parties involved, they will be equally pleased. However, at the moment, their main concern is the compliance of their orders. They have agreed to grant the government more time in these "peculiar circumstances."
The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and Haryana government, has stated that he does not have any instructions regarding this issue. The advocate general, Gurminder Singh, has informed the bench that the intervenors and negotiators have attempted to comply with the court's directives by engaging in a dialogue with the farmers. Additionally, the government has deployed 7,000 personnel at the protest site. However, their efforts were hindered by a call for a Punjab bandh on December 30 by other farmer organizations.
The bench has recorded these submissions and has scheduled the next hearing for January 2, 2025, to ensure compliance with their order to shift Dallewal to a hospital. They have also accepted the request for more time from the government. The Punjab chief secretary and director general of police have been directed to continue appearing virtually during the hearings.
On December 28, the Supreme Court had criticized the Punjab government for not moving Dallewal to a hospital and questioned the intentions of the protesting farmers who were preventing medical assistance for their septuagenarian leader. The Punjab government has claimed that they faced significant resistance from the farmers, who had surrounded Dallewal and were not allowing him to be taken to a hospital.
The Supreme Court has blamed the state government for not doing enough to contain the situation and allowing it to escalate. They have also stated that the farmer leaders who prevented Dallewal from seeking medical help are involved in the criminal offense of abetment to suicide.
On December 20, the apex court had put the responsibility on Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on Dallewal's hospitalization. They had suggested that Dallewal, who is 70 years old, could be shifted to a makeshift hospital set up 700 meters away from the protest site at Khanauri border point.
Earlier, on December 19, the bench had referred to civil rights activist Irom Sharmila, who had continued her protest for over a decade under medical supervision. They had asked the Punjab government to convince Dallewal to undergo an examination and had reprimanded the state for not conducting medical tests on him.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point since November 26, demanding that the Centre fulfill the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. The farmers, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
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