On Thursday, the Supreme Court said Punjab government’s officials are creating wrong impressions in the media, creating a false impression in the media that steps are being taken to end Dallewal’s fast.
The supreme court clarified it had never ordered the end of Dallewal’s protest but simply expressed a concern for his health. The SC further told the Punjab government that its officials and certain farmer leaders are making irresponsible statements on the farmers’ protests, which complicate the situation.
The Bar and Bench reported that the bench of justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia of the Supreme Court said that Dallewal need not worry if asking for medical aid would weaken the farmers’ protests.
The court said, “It has come to our notice that there is a systematic attempt in the media by Punjab government officers to present that the Court is pressurizing him (Dallewal) to break the fast. We did not say break the fast. We just said that he should be taken care of, he should be medically treated, and then he can break his fast. Moving to the hospital is not synonymous with the break of the fast.”
“Our concern is that there shouldn’t be any harm done to his life. Life is precious for a farm leader. He has none of his own political ideologies; he is just taking the advocacy of the farmers,” the top court observed.
Punjab assures state will provide assistance:
AG Gurminder Singh, on behalf of the Punjab government, assured the court that a committee involving all the relevant stakeholders has been set up and the state is trying to ensure that Dallewal receives the help he requires.
“(The State has) no partisan – it is a matter of, we have convinced him or are trying to convince him to accept medical help. The counterparts are on the ground. He has reportedly conveyed to the mediators that he will accept medical help only if he engages in. That demands some intervention (talks with the relevant government regarding the farmers’ demands),” the AG said, the report said.
Farmers’ protest: Key demands
Farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of minimum support prices (MSP), a clearance for debts, a pension for farmers and labourers, no increase in electricity prices, and justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Furthermore, there is demand for the roll-back of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act and compensation for the families of those who died in the 2020-21 protests. All the earlier attempts to march to Delhi on February 13 and 21 last year were thwarted at the Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri. Since then, protesters under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (a non-political group) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been stationed at these borders.
