The protesting farmers got a boost on Monday when the Supreme Court of India expressed “disappointment” with the way negotiations are being held between representatives of the farmer unions and the central government. Farmers have been protesting for more than a month now, seeking repeal of the three farm laws recently passed. Most of these protests are concentrated at the Delhi-Haryana border.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde leads the three-judge bench that heard petitions seeking removal of the protesting farmers from the highways. “What is going on? States are rebelling against your laws. We are extremely disappointed at the way the government is handling the talks. What consultative process was followed by you before passing the laws? All are up in rebellion against the laws,” the bench told the government.
“Our intention is to see if we can bring about an amicable resolution of the problem. Why don’t you (Centre) put your laws on hold? If there is some sense of responsibility now, you can say we will not implement our laws. We will have a committee of distinguished officers… Withhold the implementation of laws till there is a discussion by the proposed committee,” it said.
The bench also said that it will be better for the talks to put the laws on hold, adding, “We don’t want blood on our hands. There should be no bloodshed or violence.”