A day after issuing a warning, the Supreme Court of India stayed three farm laws being opposed by protesting farmers across the country. Farmers have been staging protests against Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Act 2020, Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act & Amendment to Essential Commodities Act.
Concentrated mainly near the Delhi-Haryana border, the protests have been going on for more than 40 days now. Seven rounds of talks have also been held between representatives of protesting farmers and the central government. However, the farmers have maintained that they want the laws repealed while the government insists on taking back the laws. The government, nonetheless, has offered to negotiate and make essential amendments to the laws.
“We are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture. We don’t want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee. We are looking to solve the problem. If you (farmers) want to agitate indefinitely, you can do so,” CJI Bobde, heading the three-member bench hearing the case, said.
The SC also ordered a four-member committee comprising of Bhupinder Singh Mann (National President of Bharatiya Kisan Union), Dr. Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati (Agricultural Economist) and Anil Ghanwat (President of Shetkari Sanghatana). The committee will hear all the parties and stakeholders and submit a report to apex court.
The decision is being seen as a pro-government one. Experts claim the court has simply bought time for the government to eventually rule out any possibility of changes.
Responding to the development, the Kisan Ekta Morcha said in a statement, “The farmers say that ‘Stay on implementation’ is just a temporary solution. And that the govt. has to repeal the farm laws to stop the ongoing fierce protest.”
The next phase of talks between the farmers and the government is scheduled for January 15.