Chandigarh, January 6, 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh and former DIG Narinder Bhargav, who is involved in back-channel talks with protesting farm unions, on Sunday held a closed-door meeting with farmer leaders amid concerns over Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s health.
The meeting came following reports that Dallewal’s health deteriorated following his 11-minute address on Saturday at the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border, where farmer unions held a mahapanchayat.
Meanwhile, Dallewal’s indefinite fast entered the 41st day, with the farmer leader refusing to take medical aid and vowing to continue his protest until the Centre accepts their demands, including debt waiver and a law assuring minimum support price for crops.
A team of the Health Department has also been put on standby. Dallewal felt dizzy and vomited as his blood pressure dropped while he was being carried back to his tent following this, said a team of doctors.
Doctors said Dallewal’s internal organs, including liver, kidneys and lungs, are under stress. Portable ecocardiography, X-ray and ultrasound machines have been placed at the spot.
The development has taken place a day before the next hearing in the Supreme Court pertaining to the contempt petition against the Punjab Chief Secretary and the police chief for their inability to comply with earlier orders to hospitalise Dallewal.
Dallewal’s glass cubicle is heavily guarded with over 100 tractor-trailers welded to each other. Around 700 volunteers have secured the area where the farmer leader is holding his protest.
This has been done to prevent a repeat of the November 26 incident, wherein police personnel had barged into his tent at the Khanauri border and took away Dallewal to a hospital in Ludhiana, said a source.
After holding a massive ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ at the Punjab’s Khanauri border with Haryana on January 4, the focus has now shifted to the interstate border at Shambhu as protesting farmers have decided to celebrate Parkash Purb of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh there on Monday.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, coordinator for the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political), said after a “successful mahapanchayat” at Khanauri, a huge number of farmers would gather at the Shambhu border point.
The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13, 2024, after their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march was stopped by security forces.
On December 6, 8 and 14, paramilitary and the Haryana Police personnel had lobbed teargas shells at the farmers protesting on the Shambhu border as they repeatedly tried to march towards the national capital.
Summary: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and ex-Deputy Inspector General (DIG) held discussions with farm leaders as concerns over Dallewal’s deteriorating health escalate.