The hunger strike by Indian students in Prince Edward Island against the Canadian province's change in immigration rules have entered the second week now.
On a dry hunger strike, whereby the students aren't even taking fluids, since the last few days, their health condition is deteriorating.
Spokesperson for the protesters, Rupinder Pal Singh, said that five protesters had to give up the full hunger strike.
Some protesters have left the full hunger strike, others are managing between full-time jobs and the protests, Rupinderpal Singh said.
Sivia said "solid action" by the provincial government will be able to end the hunger strike.
The hunger strike by Indian students in Prince Edward Island against the Canadian province's change in immigration rules have entered the second week now. On a dry hunger strike, whereby the students aren't even taking fluids, since the last few days, their health condition is deteriorating. Some have even started to faint.
The protesting students have set up camps and don't seem in the mood to give up their fight.
advertisement
The Indian students are protesting against the 25% immigration cap by the provincial government of Prince Edward Island (PEI).
The protesters have been weak, tired and discouraged, reports Canadian broadcaster CBC.
Spokesperson for the protesters, Rupinder Pal Singh, said that five protesters had to give up the full hunger strike. One woman had two panic attacks, and she gave up after others advised her to discontinue.
To highlight the toll the protests have taken on his health, Rupinder Pal Singh said he had lost 15 pounds (7 kg) since the demonstrations began on May 9.
The students, seeing that the PEI administration wasn't moved by their requests, began a hunger strike on May 24.
"We don't want to risk lives," said Singh. "The government really doesn't care about people's lives around here," he alleged.
Rupinder Singh, who has lived in PEI for five years and works as an internet sales representative, says he will be deported to India once his work permit expires on July 14, according to CTV News.
Singh said PEI's move was unfair as the new rules applied to immigrants who were already living and working in the Canadian province.
Rupinderpal Singh has recently spoken about the extra college tuition and taxation paid by immigrants at the PEI parliament. He said the Indian students were suffering due to the sudden changes in the immigration rules despite paying three times higher education fees than a Canadian does.
FEEL DIZZY, HAD FAINTED, SAYS INDIAN PROTESTER IN PEI
"I feel dizzy sometimes. I fainted," Jaspreet Singh Sivia, another spokesperson of the protesters, told CBC.
"I don't know how I'm standing in front of you here. But we will have to hold," he said near the camps set by protesters near the Coles Building on the grounds of the P.E.I. Legislature in Charlottetown.
Some protesters have left the full hunger strike, others are managing between full-time jobs and the protests, Rupinderpal Singh said.
The Premier visited the protestors on May 16, eight days after the protests started. The protesters haven't heard from the province since that day.
"This is the only option we were left with," Singh told Atlantic News on May 30 and 21 people sat by his side. "We are here because unfair decisions were made .... We want our voices to be heard."
"I am going to stand tall ... and see how long I can take it," said Singh.
CANADIAN PARAMEDICS PRESENT TO HELP INDIAN STUDENTS
Due to the change in PEI's rules, just 200 immigrants will be granted permanent residency in PEI this year against 800 who were nominated last year. This comes as PEI focuses on immigrants specialising in in-demand sectors like healthcare and construction.
Outside the Coles Building, paramedics with Island EMS treated some of the protesters, according to a report.
Many protesters fainted on May 29, although the paramedics were present to help people who did not get well.
The protesters have the support of Charlottetown MP, Sean Casey. "The workers rightly feel that they have had the rug pulled out from under them with the lack of adequate notice of a policy change that has such a dramatic impact on them," Casey wrote in a letter to the PEI premier.
advertisement
He also said that the government is being "manifestly unfair and callous" by not giving the workers enough time to find employment in the sector where they prefer it.
Sivia said "solid action" by the provincial government will be able to end the hunger strike.
Karla Bernard, interim leader of the PEI Green Party also spoke up. "We never dreamed they would resort to this," said Bernard. We have too many people and our infrastructure is not ready for it .... We didn't prepare for this aggressive population growth."
"People are outraged about this because they're here now .... It feels like we're blaming them for mismanagement of the immigration file. And it's so concerning that they're taking these drastic measures."
