NEW DELHI: Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26 of last year, is not the first to resort to such an extreme form of protest. Sikh leaders in post-Independence India have a long history of undertaking prolonged fasts for various causes, though their struggles have often been met with limited success. In contrast, Potti Sreeramulu’s 58-day fast unto death in the south 72 years ago led to the creation of Andhra Pradesh, demonstrating the power of such protests in shaping political outcomes.
Demanding creation of a separate Telugu-majority state, Sreeramulu had begun his fast on October 19, 1952 and died on Dec 15, 1952. It triggered creation of the first state (then called Andhra) on a linguistic basis on October 1, 1953.
Considered as the most successful fast in Independent India, Sreeramulu’s act inspired generations of others in several states, with Sikh leaders in Punjab taking the lead, albeit unsuccessfully.
Besides Dallewal, who has been demanding legal guarantee to procurement of crops at minimum support price (MSP), four other Sikh leaders took the hunger strike route to press for their respective demands in the past.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Master Tara Singh was the first on the list following Sreeramulu’s fast-unto-death episode. He went on hunger strike in 1961 demanding the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state but ended his fast after 48 days following an intervention by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Though Punjab was ultimately bifurcated with creation of a new state of Haryana out of it in 1966, Singh’s fast for the cause was just a distant act among multiple other political factors that forced such a move.
Similarly, another SAD leader Sant Fateh Singh went on hunger strike in 1966 demanding inclusion of Chandigarh in the then newly-formed Punjab. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi intervened and he ended his fast after 10 days with his demand remaining pending as Chandigarh continues to be the joint capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
Three years later, former MP and freedom fighter Darshan Singh Pheruman had to lose his life on the 74th day of fast in 1969 while unsuccessfully demanding transfer of all Punjabi-speaking areas from Haryana to Punjab. Pheruman (84) was even arrested during his fast and later hospitalised but refused any medical aid and feed.
The longest of all fasts was the hunger strike of Surat Singh Khalsa (2015-23), demanding release of prisoners languishing in jail despite completing their terms. He spent most of his time in hospital and was fed by a nasal tube till he ended it ahead of his 90th birthday.
Though Dallewal started taking medical aid after being shifted to a make-shift hospital near the protest site in Khanauri, it’s not yet clear whether he would move to Chandigarh for participating in the talks with the central govt representatives on Feb 14 over a dozen of key demands of farmers. If he decides to take part in the talks, he will have to shift in a hospital in Chandigarh ahead of talks.
