Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has ended his 123-day hunger strike and accepted water, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed the Supreme Court on Friday.
The announcement came during a hearing before a Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh.
“One more positive fact I want to bring to your Lordships’ notice…With your Lordships’ intervention, Mr. Dallewal has accepted water today and broken his fast,” the Advocate General stated in court.
Justice Surya Kant welcomed the news, saying, “Very good, very good… Pray for his good health. We have been openly saying that he is a genuine farmer leader without any political agenda. He is one person who raises the genuine concerns of farmers. However, there are people who do not want a resolution to take place.”
Dallewal began his fast-unto-death on November 26, 2024, to push for farmers’ demands, including the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waivers, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the 2020-21 protests.
In January, Dallewal agreed to receive medical assistance without breaking his fast and initiated discussions with the Central Government regarding the demands raised by protesting farmers.
The Supreme Court Bench also praised the reopening of highways at Shambhu Border and Khanauri Border, emphasising that lakhs of people would benefit from the move.
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The court declined to entertain a contempt petition filed against the Punjab Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and Director General of Police for allegedly failing to comply with its July 24, 2024, order, which mandated maintaining the status quo at the Shambhu border to prevent any "untoward incidents."
“We have been urging the Punjab Government to reopen the highways,” Justice Kant remarked. Following this, petitioner Sehajpreet Singh opted to withdraw the contempt plea.
On March 19, Punjab Police detained several farmer leaders, including Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, and cleared protest sites at Shambhu Border and Khanauri Border.
Authorities dismantled temporary structures and removed trolleys and vehicles stationed there. The petitioner alleged that the eviction of protesting farmers was carried out forcibly by the Punjab Police.
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The Advocate General noted that the court-appointed committee tasked with negotiations had done a "commendable job" and recommended that its report be submitted to the court. He also stated that "Haryana and Punjab are now on the same page" regarding the issue.
The Bench instructed both the committee and the Punjab Government to submit status and supplementary reports on the situation. In light of recent developments, the contempt proceedings against the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police were dropped.
Meanwhile, farm leader Hardo Jhande revealed that Dallewal had stopped consuming water on March 19 to protest the police action at Shambhu and Khanauri, as well as the subsequent arrests of farmers.
However, he resumed drinking water after the last group of detained farmers, including leaders such as Sarwan Singh Pandher, Kaka Singh Kotda, and Abhimanyu Kohar, were released from Patiala jail in the early hours of Friday.
Jhande also mentioned that Dallewal had originally begun his hunger strike on November 26 while only consuming water. On January 18, after considerable persuasion and a proposal from the central government for talks, he had agreed to receive medical assistance.
His decision to finally break his fast came after the release of the remaining detained farmers, signaling a possible step toward resolution in the ongoing farmer protests.
Also Read: HC upholds Dallewal’s custody, grants free visitor access
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