Wangchuk weak, Delhi HC orders regular monitoring, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is worsening on the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
• The Delhi High Court has ordered the Union and Delhi governments to ensure regular medical monitoring of his health.
• Doctors have warned that Mr. Wangchuk's condition has entered a critical stage, with significant weight loss.
• The court emphasized the state's "paternalistic duty of care" to preserve life while respecting the right to dissent.

Detailed Insights:

• The Delhi High Court Bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, issued the order.
• Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta assured the court that daily health check-ups are being conducted and medical intervention will be provided if needed.
• The court's direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Rakesh Kumar Saini.
• Multiple Supreme Court judgments highlight the state's responsibility to ensure the life of a person on hunger strike is preserved.
• A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant had previously stressed this duty in the case of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
• The Supreme Court also referenced the In Re: Ramlila Maidan Incident case, involving Baba Ramdev's 2011 hunger strike against corruption.
• The judiciary has affirmed that hunger strikes are a constitutionally accepted form of protest and are not unconstitutional.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Public Interest Litigation (PIL): A legal action initiated in a court of law for the protection of public interest.
• Paternalistic Duty of Care: The state's responsibility to protect the well-being of its citizens, even if it means overriding individual choices in certain circumstances.
• Right to Dissent: The fundamental right of citizens to express disagreement or opposition to government policies or actions.