From Sreeramulu to Dallewal: A history of hunger strikes in struggle for justice & rights


Potti Sriramulu and Jagjit Singh Dallewal (R)

New Delhi: Farmers leader Jagjit Singh Dallewalthat has been in a hunger strike Since November 26 of last year, it is not the first to resort to such an extreme form of protest. Sijs leaders in India after independence have a long history of embarking prolonged fasting for various causes, although their struggles have often encountered limited success. In contrast, Potti SreeramuluThe 58 -day fast to death in the south 72 years ago led to the creation of Andhra Pradesh, demonstrating the power of such protests in the configuration of political results.
Demanding the creation of a state separated from most of the telugu, Sreeramulu had begun his fast on October 19, 1952 and died on December 15, 1952. He activated the creation of the first state (then called Andhra) on a linguistic basis the October 1, 1953.
Considered as the most successful fasting in India India, Sreeramulu’s law inspired generations of others in several states, with Sijs leaders in Punjab taking the initiative, although without success.
In addition to Dallewal, who has been demanding legal guarantee for the acquisition of crops in Minimum support price (MSP), four other SIJ leaders took the hunger strike route to press for their respective demands in the past.
Shiromani Akali Dal (sad) leader, teacher Tara Singh, was the first in the list after Sreeramulu’s episode until death until death. He went on a hunger strike in 1961 demanding the creation of a Punjabi speech state, but finished his fast after 48 days after an intervention for the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Although Punjab was ultimately fork with the creation of a new state of Haryana in 1966, Singh’s fast for the cause was only a distant act among other political factors that forced such movement.
Similarly, another sad leader, Sant Fateh Singh, went on a hunger strike in 1966, demanding the inclusion of Chandigarh in the then newly formed Punjab. Then, Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, intervened and finished her fast after 10 days with her pending demand, since Chandigarh continues to be the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
Three years later, the former deputy and fighter of La Libertad, Darshan Singh Pheruman, had to lose his life on the 74th of the fast in 1969 while without success the transfer of all the Punjabi speech areas of Haryana to Punjab. Pheruman (84) was even arrested during his fast and then hospitalized, but rejected any medical help and food.
The longest of all the fasts was the hunger strike of Surath Singh Khalsa (2015-23), demanding the release of prisoners by languishing in jail despite completing their terms. He spent most of his time in the hospital and was fed by a nasal tube until he finished it before his 90th birthday.
Although Dallewal began taking medical help after being transferred to a change of change of change near the protest site in Khanauri, it is not yet clear if he would move to Chandigarh for participating in the conversations with the representatives of the central government on February 14 About a dozen claims of farmers. If you decide to participate in the conversations, you will have to change to a Chandigarh hospital before the conversations.





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