Punjab govt, doctors to decide on hospitalisation of protesting farmer: SC

PTI New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday left it to the Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on the hospitalisation of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it was the responsibility of the Punjab government to look after the health of Dallewal, who has been holding the fast for over 24 days. It sought reports from Punjab chief secretary and health officials on the medical conditions of Dallewal by January 2 and said the state government could approach the court, if a need arose.

The bench said 70-yearold Dallewal could be moved to the makeshift hospital setup within 700 metre of the protest site at Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana. Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh gave an undertaking of the chief secretary on the medical condition of the farmer leader and said forcefully moving him from where he was stationed could cause him trauma and aggravate the situation. The bench said the authorities could continue with their efforts to persuade him to move to the hospital. The bench during the hearing earlier asked the Punjab government to give an undertaking on Dallewal's health condition and on moving him to the nearby facility for a roundthe- clock monitoring. Singh informed the bench on December 19 the Dallewal cooperated and underwent several tests, including ECG and blood examination. He said Dallewal's health condition appeared to be stable for now.

The bench on December 19 referred to civil rights activist Irom Sharmila continuing her protest for more than a decade under medical supervision and asked the Punjab government to convince Dallewal for a health examination. It had pulled up the state for not running medical tests on Dallewal. Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces. The Haryana government set up the barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway in February after it was announced that the farmers would march to Delhi in support of their demands, including legal guarantee of MSP for their produce.