New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union government and Punjab to ensure necessary medical aid is provided to farmer Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), who has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanouri border.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked authorities to have a direct dialogue with Dallewal saying "his life is more precious than any agitation."
A person who is providing them (farmers) leadership and statesmanship must be protected, please take the steps immediately, the bench told Centre and Punjab.
The bench also made it clear that force should not be used to make him eat food.
Dallewal has been on fast-unto-death since November 26 as part of the protests against the Central government for minimum support prices for crops.
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"During the course of the hearing, it was apprised that the health condition of Dallewal is worsening since he is on fast-unto-death. It is the bounden duty of the state of Punjab and Union to take all peaceful measures to grant medical aid to Dallewal and not force him to eat unless it is imperative to save him," said the bench.
The Punjab government persuaded the bench not to direct the shifting of Dallewal to the hospital, contending that such a direction may create problems and assured that the needful would be done even without any such specific direction.
The apex court also asked the high-powered committee, constituted to resolve the grievances of farmers agitating at the Shambhu border, to convince the farmers to either shift the protesting venue and clear the national highway for smooth traffic or pause the protest for a while.
The bench said that the committee has made strong recommendations against the use of any force on farmers.
It asked committee and lawyers representing Centre and Punjab to tell farmers to maintain peace.
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"Let it go the Gandhian way," said the bench.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh agreed with the committee's proposal to persuade the protesters.
The matter will be next considered on December 17.
The apex court was hearing an appeal against the July 10 Punjab and Haryana High Court order by which it had directed it to open the highway and clear the barricading within seven days.
In February, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway farmers' bodies announced that farmers would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
