Naresh Meena hospitalised as blood sugar drops below 60 on day 9 of fast
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Naresh Meena, chief of the Bhagat Singh Sena and a prominent farmers' leader, was hospitalised on Saturday, 10 October as his indefinite hunger strike entered its ninth consecutive day in Baran district, Rajasthan. Medical examinations reportedly revealed his blood sugar level had fallen below 60, prompting district administration and police officials to intervene and arrange his transfer to hospital.
Health Crisis Forces Hospitalisation
Officials from the Baran district administration and police reached Meena's native village, Nayagaon Nanavta, on Saturday after growing alarm over his deteriorating condition. According to reports, a blood sugar reading below 60 — a level that can signal hypoglycaemic risk — was the immediate trigger for the hospitalisation. As he was being taken for treatment, villagers present at the site raised slogans in his support and demanded that the administration act on farmers' grievances without delay.
What Meena Is Demanding
Despite being hospitalised, Meena reportedly stated he would continue his fast until his demands were met. His core demands include an adequate supply of DAP and urea fertilisers, an end to the forced bundling of fertilisers with other products — known locally as 'tagging' — and strict action against fertiliser black-marketing. He has also called for water supply to reach tail-end areas of the Chambal and Bisalpur canal systems.
Additional demands cover 10 hours of daytime electricity for agricultural use, the release of pending agricultural electricity connections, and timely crop-loss assessments to facilitate insurance claims and compensation for affected farmers. Meena has further sought financial assistance for accident victims, subsidies on agricultural machinery, remunerative prices for produce, and free gravel (bajri) provision alongside withdrawal of cases related to its distribution.
Local and Regional Grievances
Beyond broad agrarian issues, Meena has raised several Baran district-specific concerns. These include curbing what he describes as arbitrary actions by the Forest Department in the Nahargarh–Jalbada region, ensuring fair employment and wages for local residents at the Kawai–Chauki plant, and restoring water supply by repairing motors of the Ganeshganj Lift Canal. He has also demanded action against illegal liquor networks, clearance of pending payments to milk producers, and improved conditions and nutritious food for prison inmates.
Administration Response and What Comes Next
Police and administrative officials have been closely monitoring the hunger strike and are attempting to persuade Meena to call it off, according to reports. However, Meena remains firm and has publicly appealed to his supporters not to pressure him into ending the fast, insisting the issues he has raised must be resolved first. The focus is now squarely on whether the Baran district administration and the Rajasthan state government will engage meaningfully with the demands — or risk a further escalation of his health crisis.