Supreme Court Forms Committee to Address Farmers’ Demands
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday constituted a high-powered committee led by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, to address the ongoing demands of farmers protesting since February. Farmers’ demands include legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The court also cautioned the farmers against politicizing the issue and emphasized the need to minimize the public inconvenience caused by their continued blockades of highways.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan highlighted the legitimacy of the farmers’ grievances but stressed that these should be addressed without allowing the protests to become a political tool. The court’s order underlined that while the rights of farmers must be respected, the larger public interest, particularly the accessibility to essential services, should not be compromised.
The high-powered committee, chaired by Justice Nawab Singh, will include BS Sandhu, former Director General of Police, Haryana; Devinder Sharma, an expert in agricultural issues; Prof Ranjit Singh Ghumman from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; and Dr. Sukhpal Singh, an agricultural economist from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Prof Baldev Raj Kamboj, Vice-Chancellor of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, has been appointed as a special invitee to the committee.
The Supreme Court directed the committee to hold its first meeting within a week and focus on understanding the ground realities and hardships faced by rural and marginalized communities in Punjab and Haryana, including those not directly involved in agriculture. The states of Punjab and Haryana were invited to suggest issues for the committee’s consideration, which must be submitted to the court by October 14 for further deliberation.
The court also asked for immediate action to remove the problems caused by the blockade on the Shambhu border near Ambala where farmers have been camping since February 13. The court urged the committee to engage with the protesting farmers and persuade them to remove their blockades from the national highway.
“We are hopeful and confident that now that one of the major demands of the agitating farmers has been accepted with the consent of both states for the formation of an impartial high-powered committee, they will immediately respond to the request of the committee and vacate the Shambhu border and other roads connecting the two states without delay,” the court said. It emphasized that such a gesture would facilitate the committee and both state governments in addressing the farmers’ genuine demands objectively.
The court also reiterated its earlier caution to the farmers to maintain independence from political parties and avoid making demands that are not feasible for immediate acceptance. The bench made it clear that while all issues will be considered, this will happen in a phased manner based on the recommendations of the committee.
Both Punjab and Haryana have identified alternative sites where farmers can continue their peaceful protests, ensuring that public inconvenience is minimized. The Supreme Court has directed the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of both Punjab and Haryana to provide all necessary logistical support to the committee so that it can effectively carry out its mandate.
This intervention by the Supreme Court marks a crucial step in resolving the ongoing conflict between the government and protesting farmers. By creating a neutral, expert-led platform for negotiation, the court aims to address the farmers’ grievances while minimizing disruption to the public. The emphasis on depoliticizing the protests and focusing on feasible solutions highlights the court’s intent to achieve a balanced resolution that upholds both the farmers’ rights and the broader public interest.
The Supreme Court was responding to a plea by the Haryana government challenging a March 7 Punjab and Haryana High Court decision to set up a committee to investigate the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh during a clash with Haryana security personnel in February. The bench underlined the deep lack of trust between the central government, states and farmers as it proposed setting up of an independent committee.
The court’s decision to form a committee reflects a concerted effort to address the deep-seated issues at the heart of the farmers’ protests while ensuring that public welfare remains a priority.
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