Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 24th day on Thursday (December 19). 70-year-old Dallewal did He fainted for about 10 minutes on Thursday Before being revived. The Punjab government is keeping a close eye on the leader’s health even as he tries to talk to the protesting farmers.
Dallewal is not the first Punjabi leader to go on a fast. But such fasts have rarely borne much fruit in the past. Here are 6 famous examples.
- 01
Bhagat Singh, 1929
Bhagat Singh, in 1929. (Wikimedia Commons)
Perhaps the most famous hunger strike in the history of Punjab and India is that of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1929 in Mianwali Jail in Lahore (Lahore was the capital of Punjab province before partition). Bhagat Singh’s 116-day long strike was a protest against the treatment of political prisoners.
He started a hunger strike on June 11 with his fellow prisoners, demanding better toilets, clothing, availability of books and quality food. Jatindranath Das, one of Bhagat Singh’s prisoners, died on September 13, the 63rd day of his hunger strike. On the request of his father, Bhagat Singh withdrew his fast on October 5.
Although the strike did not change much in terms of prison conditions, it added to the mythology of Bhagat Singh in Punjab and beyond.
- 02
Master Tara Singh, 1961
Master Tara Singh. (Wikimedia Commons)
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Master Tara Singh went on hunger strike in 1961 demanding the creation of a Punjabi speaking state. He began a fast at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and announced that he would fast unto death until his demands were met.
The then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru told him, however, that India is a secular country, and the creation of a state based on religious distinctions would be inappropriate. However, in a personal letter, Nehru assured to investigate the matter further. This prompted Tara Singh to end his fast after 48 days by taking a glass of juice from SAD leader Sant Fateh Singh. Many in the SAD were unhappy with this decision and opposed him.
Finally in 1966 Punjab was divided on the basis of language to create the states of Punjab and Haryana. Tara Singh, however, did not live long, a year later on November 22, 1967.
- 03
Sant Fateh Singh, 1966
Sant Fateh Singh breaking his fast by drinking orange juice. (Express archive photo)
SAD leader Sant Fateh Singh started a hunger strike on December 17, 1966. His demands? Incorporating Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas into the newly formed state of Punjab. He has also threatened to self-immolate after 10 days if his demands are not met.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi then intervened on 27 December and promised Singh to consider his demands. After the Prime Minister’s assurance, the 55-year-old leader broke his fast. But nothing came of it, Chandigarh remained the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab, much to the disapproval of many Punjabis.
- 04
Darshan Singh Feruman, 1969
Darshan Singh Feruman. (Wikimedia Commons)
Darshan Singh Feruman, a former MP, Sikh activist, and freedom fighter, accused Fateh Singh of degrading Sikhism by breaking his fast (prayer) till death, even if his demands were not met. At the age of 84, Feruman said he would go on a fast to death to ensure that all Punjabi-speaking areas were shifted from Haryana to Punjab.
He was arrested on 12 August 1969 and started a fast on 15 August inside the Amritsar Jail. On August 27, he was admitted to the hospital but refused all treatment and food. He died on October 27 on the 74th day of his fast.
After his death, his supporters formed the Shaheed Feruman Akali Dal but this party could not hold any significant position in Punjab politics.
- 05
Surat Singh Khalsa, 2015-2023
After Surat Singh Khalsa was discharged from a hospital in Ludhiana last year. (Express Photo Gurmeet Singh)
Surat Singh Khalsa’s fast may be the longest in the history of Punjab. He started his fast on January 16, 2015 at the age of 82 and broke his fast only on January 14, 2023. At this time, he was fed through a nasal tube (like Irom Sharmila of Manipur).
The purpose of the Khalsa’s fast was to secure the release of political prisoners in Punjab jails after they had completed their terms. He began his fast at his home in Hasanpur village in Ludhiana district, but spent most of his time at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana.
He ended his fast just before his 90th birthday due to an appeal by Sikh prisoner Jagtar Singh Hawara. The Insaf Morcha, an amalgamation of various Sikh organizations founded in Mohali on January 7, 2023, continues to fight for the release of Sikh political prisoners.
- 06
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 2024
70-year-old Dallewal, who is suffering from prostate cancer, started his hunger strike from November 26.
He is the coordinator of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a forum comprising more than 100 farmers’ unions. This is Dallewal’s sixth fast and the longest so far. His supporters say that he only eats water during the fast. Before the fast, Dallewal has given away 17 acres of his land to his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.
His demands include making MSP a legal guarantee and implementing the Swaminathan Commission report to fix crop prices.
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