The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 12 January stayed the implementation of three farm laws, proposed by the center, till further order. In a hearing of the petitions, the apex court has passed an order to set up an expert committee for the matter. Farmers have been protesting and demanding to repeal the laws.
The expert committee set up by court will constitute, Bhupinder Singh Mann, (President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and Chairman of the Kisan Coordination Committee), Policy expert Dr Pramod Joshi, Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and Anil Ghanvat of the Shetkari Sangathan. The committee is set up to hear the issues raised by farmers against the laws. It would submit a report to the apex court regarding the farm laws and all those concerned with the issue would be able to present their view before the committee.
The bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde urged farmers unions to cooperate in resolving the conflict. Farmer leaders have welcomed the Supreme Court’s order but are unwilling to call off their protest until all the three laws are repealed. In a statement, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AICSCC) also said that they will not participate in any court-ordered committee process.
The CJI told the lawyers representing farmers that they can’t reject the committee as it is a judicial process and the court wants to resolve the issues. In the proceedings, the bench said it has power of making committee to resolve the issues and reiterated that the court has powers to suspend the legislation in order to solve the problem.
During a hearing on Monday, the CJI had expressed that the court was “extremely disappointed” with the Centre over its approach to the farmers’ protests.
“We cannot keep the farm laws abeyance for nothing. There must be some progress to resolve the issue over farm laws which we want to do through committee,” said Chief Justice of India SA Bobde.
