Farm Leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's Health Deteriorates After 41-Day Hunger Strike

When Dallewal was addressing the mahapanchayat, a doctor requested him to cut short his address, but he continued and asked the doctor to allow him to speak to the large gathering. 

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike for 40 days, addresses farmers protesting at the Khanuari border seeking a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, in Sangrur district, Punjab, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.

Source : PTI

The health of farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for 41 days, deteriorated significantly in the 24 hours after his address at a mahapanchayat at the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border on Saturday (January 4).

According to a report by TOI, the medical team attending to Dallewal on Sunday confirmed that his glomerular filtration rate has declined. This process, essential for kidney function, filters waste and excess water from the blood.

Additionally, liver complications have been detected. Doctors caution that even if Dallewal ends his fast, full recovery may not be possible. Since Saturday evening, he has been experiencing frequent vomiting and discomfort, and by Sunday, he struggled to speak clearly.

Dallewal addressed the mahapanchayat while lying on a specially prepared bed on a stage, braving the severe cold. He began feeling unwell upon returning to his chamber after the event, vomiting as his blood pressure dropped.

Police Officials Visit Site To Persuade Dallewal

Throughout the day, police officials, including former DIG Narinder Bhargav and Patiala SSP Nanak Singh, visited the site to persuade Dallewal to accept medical aid without breaking his fast. The development comes ahead of the Supreme Court's scheduled hearing into the matter.

When Dallewal was addressing the mahapanchayat, a doctor requested him to cut short his address, but he continued and asked the doctor to allow him to speak to the large gathering. 

Following the mahapanchayat, a medical team led by Dr. Avtar Singh has been closely monitoring Dallewal's health and assessing his vital organs.

During his speech, Dallewal urged farmers to expand the movement nationwide, emphasising the challenges in securing the legal right to MSP. He appealed to farmers in Punjab to ensure that at least one tractor-trailer from each of the nearly 13,000 villages is sent to the Khanauri protest site.

Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohad noted that a large number of people gathered at Khanauri to show their support for Dallewal, expressing hope that they would act in line with his wishes.