Dallewal loses 20 kg as farmer leader’s indefinite fast enters 52nd day

Dallewal has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year in support of various demands of the farmers

Chandigarh: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose indefinite fast entered 52nd on Thursday has lost about 20 kg, the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border point claimed. According to them, the weight of the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) has reduced to 66.4 kg from 86.9 kg when he began the fast unto death.

Dallewal has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 last year in support of various demands of the farmers, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price of crops.

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Addressing the media at the Khanauri border point on Thursday, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said Dallewal’s weight was measured through a digital weighing machine. There has been a 23.59 per cent loss of his total body weight, Kohar said.

Dr Harinder Singh of Rajindra Medical College in Patiala said Dallewal’s body has a positive ketone level. A higher level of ketone indicates that the body is using stored fat for energy instead of glucose. Sharing information about Dallewal’s vitals, Dr Singh said his blood pressure was 120/70 and pulse rate was 80. His health is “deteriorating” every day and he is suffering from dehydration, the doctor said.

According to farmers, the ketone level in Dallewal was 6.50 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) as against the normal range of 0.02-0.27. They had earlier said that his body was not even accepting water and whenever he drinks water, he vomits.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Punjab government for a copy of the health reports of Dallewal to be examined for an opinion from the medical board of AIIMS. It also directed the apex court registrar to communicate the reports to the AIIMS director for an opinion on Dallewal’s test reports from the medical board.

Dallewal has refused any medical aid during his fasting, which has caused his health to worsen. Meanwhile, the fast-unto-death of a group of 111 farmers continued on the second day. The group began its indefinite fast on the Haryana side of the border near Khanauri in solidarity with Dallewal.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.