India News | Dallewal Writes to SC, Seeks Directions to Centre to Accept Farmers' Demands
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 25th day on Friday, wrote to the Supreme Court, urging it to direct the Centre to accept the farmers' demands including a legal guarantee of the minimum support price on crops.
Chandigarh, Dec 20 (PTI) Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered 25th day on Friday, wrote to the Supreme Court, urging it to direct the Centre to accept the farmers' demands including a legal guarantee of the minimum support price on crops.
Dallewal (70), a cancer patient, has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands.
In the letter to the apex court, Dallewal wrote that his indefinite hunger strike in support of farmers' demands entered the 25th day on Friday.
The farmer leader said he learnt through the media that the top court was concerned about his health.
"I respect your feelings," wrote Dallewal and said that he wanted to humbly request that the lives of those farmers who committed suicides due to the "wrong policies" of the governments are more important than his life.
He said a parliamentary panel has recommended the government implement a legally binding minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, arguing that such a measure would benefit the rural economy, farmers and the country.
Dallewal further said the MSP guarantee law will result in an increase in purchasing power of farmers.
"This is an all-party committee of Parliament, which includes 31 MPs from all political parties," wrote Dallewal as he was referring to the parliamentary panel.
"I request you to give necessary directions to the Central government to make MSP guarantee law by respecting the report of the parliamentary committee and the sentiments of the farmers so that farmer suicides can be stopped," Dallewal wrote in the letter.
"I also want to bring to your notice that the issues on which we are protesting are not just our demands but are promises made to us by different governments," he wrote.
Meanwhile, doctors attending to Dallewal on Friday said he has turned quite weak and his overall condition is critical.
"Because of electrolyte imbalance, there is weakness in his body. His condition is worsening. Anything can happen to him anytime," said a doctor, who is part of a team of doctors from 5 Rivers Heart Association NGO.
Dallewal has not had anything during his fast and he is just taking water, doctors earlier said.
The farmer leader, however, has refused to take any medical assistance.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said Dallewal will not leave the protest site at any cost. "He will stay where he is now."
The Supreme Court on Friday left it to the Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on the hospitalisation of 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.
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 round-the-clock monitoring.
Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed the bench that on December 19, Dallewal cooperated and underwent several tests, including ECG and blood examination.
He said Dallewal's health condition appeared to be stable for now.
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 security forces.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)