SC to hear plea for medical aid to farmers' leader Dallewal on Jan 15

The Supreme Court would hear a matter related to the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast pressing for demands, and other pleas on January 15.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh would hear a plea filed on behalf of Dallewal for a direction to the Central government for implementing a proposal, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021 after the farm laws were repealed.

The top court had asked the Centre why couldn't the government say its doors were open and it would consider the genuine grievances of farmers protesting over demands, including the legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.

The apex court would also hear a plea seeking contempt action against the Punjab government authorities for not complying with its directions issued over moving Dallewal to a hospital on December 20 last year.

On December 12, 2024, Dallewal wrote to several religious leaders for urging the Central government to accept the farmers' demands, which include a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.

Farmer leaders said the condition of Dallewal, whose indefinite fast entered the day 48 on December 12, was "deteriorating."  On January 6, the septuagenarian farmer leader met the apex court appointed panel after the Punjab government said the protesting farmers were persuaded to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, who chairs the committee.

Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political), began his indefinite hunger strike on November 26, 2024.

He refused medical aid offered by the Punjab government and his health condition deteriorated recently.

Farmers, under the banners of SKM and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

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

The top court said Dallewal could be moved to the makeshift hospital set up within 700 metres of the protest site at Khanauri border.

In September, 2024, the apex court formed the committee with the aim to amicably resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers.

The panel in its initial report flagged various reasons for agrarian distress including stagnant yield, rising costs, debts and inadequate marketing system.

Aside from Justice (retd) Singh, the committee comprises retired IPS officer B S Sandhu, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma, professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman and Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricultural economist from the Punjab Agricultural University.