The Telegraph

Dec. 17: Two protesters in Kalimpong have been hospitalised after their health condition deteriorated in the past 24 hours, even as the indefinite hunger strike of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha entered the seventh day today.

Seventy-year-old Leslie John Chater, who was not among the 21 Morcha protesters, alleged that he was shifted to the subdivisional hospital at 10.30 last night against his will. “The subdivisional officer and the doctors insisted that I should move to the hospital. I told them I did not want to go,” he said.

A doctor said Chater, a patient of chronic hypertension, had been suffering from left ventricular enlargement. “The problem gets aggravated during the fast.” Kalimpong subdivisional officer Amyas Tshering said: “We could not have possibly risked his life. He had been released from the hospital only a week ago. Yesterday afternoon, his blood pressure had shot up to 196/120 and the ECG showed his heart had swelled.”

Seven Morcha supporters were administered saline today, besides the four who had been put on drips yesterday. None of them have1 been taking medicines or solid food.

Mitra Rasaily, who has also been hospitalised, has refused to take anything other than saline drips. “I will resume my protest if the medical tests show no major complications,” said Rasaily. Doctors said the 41-year-old had been suffering from renal disorder.

Doctors in Darjeeling and Kurseong said all the protesters in both the towns needed urgent hospitalisation but none of them was ready to be shifted for treatment. There are 21 protesters each in both the places.

The condition of Allan Chhetri, 30, David Rai, 54, Nirmal Kumar Rai, 25, and Gopal Thapa, 42, in Darjeeling have been described by the doctors as critical. “All of them are facing problems because of dehydration. Some of them are also suffering from low blood pressure and some are complaining of chest and abdominal pains,” said S. Ghosh, a doctor attached to the district hospital.

District magistrate of Darjeeling Surendra Gupta visited the protesters during the day and requested them to get admitted to the hospital.

In Dagapur, on the outskirts of Siliguri, the condition of eight of the 21 people on fast was said to be critical. A medical team, led by the superintendent of the Sukna block health centre, has been asked to be ready to meet any eventuality.

The condition of five Morcha protesters remained serious in Kalchini, Dooars. Last evening, a woman was admitted to the Alipurduar hospital and had to be administered saline and put on oxygen.
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