Was it a fast or farce?

Chandigarh: Khalsa’s deprivation not borne out by medical examination; lost only 4 kg in five weeks, a miracle of sorts.

Fast or farce? That’s what is baffling about the record- breaking 42- day fast-unto-death drama that exmilitant Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa has been enacting on the sacred forecourt of Gurdwara Amb Sahib at SAS Nagar.

What has left many surprised, including doctors, is the apparently legendry fitness of this hardliner, who in the eyes of his constituents had volunteered to starve till death, seeking release of six Sikh convicts sentenced to life imprisonment.

Misinformation was at the core of Khalsa’s fast from the beginning of his fast on November 14. He and his advisors had been demanding six prisoners’ release on the grounds that they had completed their life term.

However, the law of the land is that period of imprisonment for life is equivalent to jail for entire remaining natural life, unless the competent authority commutes the sentence. Life imprisonment thus means imprisonment for entire life.

However, the haze surrounding this “hunger strike for a cause” points towards Khalsa, who was like a pawn in the hands of a handful of radical leaders, clearly faking and resorting to blatant lies and deceit about his fast.

Last week, when Khalsa was taken to Fortis Hospital for a medical check-up, the doctors were left agape.

“All his body parameters were normal,” the elated team of doctors examining him had informed the Punjab government, which had been keeping its fingers crossed.

So, what was keeping Khalsa kicking and in high spirits? During medical examination, it was found that he had not lost more than 4 kg weight, even as the fast had been on for five weeks.

Doctors at Fortis Hospital, on condition of anonymity, claimed that though Khalsa was examined for problems in upper respiratory tract his other body parameters were also stable.

According to a gastroenterologist, if a person skips food for three-four days weight loss and dehydration are common, which was not the case with Khalsa. Nor did he signs of tiredness. His blood sugar level was also within range and not low.

Experts claimed a fasting person loses at least 4 kg in the first week and minimum 250 gram per day subsequently, apart from other complications. Thus, even with conservative estimates, Khalsa should have lost over 12 kg, if he was actually on fastunto-death.

However, on Wednesday when he announced the end of hunger strike, Khalsa was as fit and fine as on day one.

Source: HT