Farmers Movement Archive

SC stays rollout of three controversial farm laws

It noted that deaths, not due to violence, but either of illness or by way of suicide, had occurred already. The court lauded the peaceful nature of the protests and stated that it did not want to stifle it. However, it noted Attorney General K.K. Venugopal’s “support” of a “specific averment” by the Indian Kisan Union that an organisation, Sikhs for Justice, banned for anti-India secessionist movement, is financing the agitation. Reports of ‘Khalistanis’ In his turn, Mr. Venugopal orally remarked in the hearing that there were reports that “Khalistanis” had infiltrated the protests. The hearing on Tuesday took place in the absence of four senior lawyers, including senior advocate Dushyant Dave and advocate Prashant Bhushan, who had said they represent a bulk of the protesting farmers’ organisations. Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared for a party supporting the farm laws, said the four lawyers did not log into the virtual hearing on Tuesday. Chief Justice Bobde was, however, unperturbed by either the lawyers’ absence or statement by farmers on Monday night. “There are as many opinions here as there are farmers. Let the organisations talk to the committee. You can either resolve the problem or you can agitate indefinitely without any purpose,” he said. The court order made it clear that farmers’ bodies “shall” participate in the discussions of the committee. “The representatives of all the farmers’ bodies, whether they are holding a protest or not and whether they support or oppose the laws shall participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their view points,” it directed. Committee members The committee consists of Bhupinder Singh Mann, National President, Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr. Parmod Kumar Joshi, agricultural economist, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; and Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sanghatana. The committee has to start work in 10 days and submit a report to the court in two months. The government would take care of their expenses. The court directed that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system in existence before the enactment of the farm laws should be maintained until further orders. In addition, the farmers’ landholdings should be protected.

The Hindu

2021-01-13

January 13 2021 00:00 IST