Punjab steps up efforts to convince Dallewal for medical help
A day before SC is to hear a contempt petition against the Punjab officials, state government stepped up efforts to convince Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
A day before the Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear a contempt petition against the Punjab chief secretary and DGP for non-compliance of an order directing medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike, the Punjab government on Sunday stepped up efforts to convince Dallewal to take medical aid.

However, the veteran farm leader, whose fast-unto-death entered 41st day on Sunday, refused to take medical aid.
Former deputy inspector general Narinder Bhargav along with Patiala SSP Dr Nanak Singh held a closed-door meeting with the farm union leaders to convince Dallewal to take medical aid.
Thereafter, the Patiala district administration, led by the additional deputy commissioner and the Patran SDM met Dallewal and enquired about his health. These last-ditch efforts by the Punjab government are made to convince the farm leader as the deadline to comply with the December 20 order of the apex court to provide medical aid ends Monday morning. The SC on January 2 had given the Punjab government four more days to comply with the order.
Also read: Strengthen morcha at Khanauri: Dallewal’s message to farmers
When asked about the outcome of the meeting with Punjab government officials, farm leader Kaka Singh Kotra said that the meeting remained inconclusive as the earlier ones.
“Nothing came out of the meeting as usual. The officials met us and enquired about Dallewal’s health. We once again informed the officials that Dallewal would only think of taking medical aid if the Union government starts a dialogue with us,” said Kotra.
However, the proposal for a meeting between the farmers’ unions and the Union government has not materialised so far.
‘He felt dizzy, vomited; unable to speak’
Meanwhile, while talking about Dallewal’s health, the farmer union leaders said that he (Dallewal) was not able to talk apparently because of low energy.
Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said that Dallewal’s health had further deteriorated over the past 24 hours with multiple episodes of vomiting. “As per the doctors, his vital organs have been irreparably damaged and recovery is not possible even if he ends the hunger strike today itself,” said Kohar.
Sharing information about Dallewal’s health, Dr Avtar Singh, who is part of a team from NGO 5 Rivers Heart Association’, said on Sunday his blood pressure fluctuated during a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Khanauri the previous day.
“He felt dizzy and vomited when he was being taken back to his tent,” said the doctor.
Also read: ‘My life is not important’: Farmer leader Dallewal at ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’
Dallewal was brought to the event in a stretcher to address the gathering of farmers while lying in a bed on a stage at the protest site. During his more than 11-minute address, Dallewal tried to send across a message farmers’ welfare was more important than his life.
Doctors said Dallewal’s glomerular filtration rate, which shows how well the kidneys are filtering, is dropping.
