The Supreme Court on Wednesday was of the view that the government’s negotiations with the protesting farmers have “not worked apparently” and said it will form a committee having representatives of the both the sides to resolve the deadlock but the agitating leaders dismissed it as no solution. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is leading the government side in the negotiations, said the ongoing agitation at Delhi’s borders is limited to one state and farmers of Punjab are being “misled” by the Opposition. He, however, expressed hope that there will be a solution “soon” to the ongoing impasse.
Protesting farmer unions said constituting a new panel to break the stalemate on the three new agri laws is not a solution as they want a complete withdrawal of the legislations. They also said the government should have formed a committee of farmers and others before the laws were enacted by Parliament. Abhimanyu Kohar, a leader of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sabha which is one of 40 protesting farmer unions, said they have already rejected a recent government offer to form such a panel.
Taking to Twitter, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, who is also a member of umbrella group Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, said, “The SC can and must decide on the constitutionality of the 3 farm acts. But it is not for the judiciary to decide on the feasibility and desirability of these laws. That’s between the farmers and their elected leaders. SC monitored negotiation would be a wrong path.” Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), which has been leading the agitation at Tikri border, said that there would be no meaning of a new committee now. Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha wrote a letter to the Centre asking it to stop holding “parallel talks” with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations. With the government saying that it is waiting for the reply of farmer leaders, the Morcha said there was no question of responding as they had made their stand clear in the last round of meeting with Union ministers that they want the laws to be repealed.
In the letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop “defaming” the ongoing protests being held against the farm laws. During the day, security arrangements were tightened at the Chilla border between Delhi and Noida as farmer union leaders threatened to completely block the key border point to press for their demands.
Thousands of farmers have been camping at several Delhi border points for 21 days on the trot, causing closure of several routes. Hearing the matter, the Supreme Court said it will form a committee to resolve the dispute. “We will have members of the government, members from farmer organisations in it. This may soon become a national issue. We will have members from farmer organisations from rest of India also. You propose list of names of committee members,” said a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.
The court, which impleaded farmers unions as parties in the matter and sought their response by Thursday, told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that “Your negotiations have not worked apparently.” “It is bound to fail. You are saying you are willing to negotiate,” the bench told Mehta, who replied, “Yes, we are willing to talk to farmers.” When the apex court asked the solicitor general, who was representing the Centre to give names of the farmer organisations, which are blocking the roads on Delhi borders, he said he can provide the names of those with whom government is holding discussions. “There are members of Bharatiya Kisan Union and other organisations who are talking to the government”, Mehta said adding that government is talking with the protesting farmer organisations and he can give those names to the court.
He also said “now, it appears that others have taken over the farmers protest.” The court also issued notices to the Centre and others on a batch of petitions seeking removal of farmers camping at borders of Delhi and amicable solution of the dispute. Speaking to reporters in Gwalior and at a virtual conference, Tomar insisted that the new agriculture reforms will change the lives of the farmers.
He also accused the Congress and Left parties of taking advantage of the farmers’ protest to malign the image of the government. “We are talking to farmer organisations and also those from Punjab. We will soon find a solution on the issue. The opposition is trying to mislead farmers, but it will not succeed,” Tomar said.
Addressing a convention in Indore, Ministerial colleague Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that anti-Indian, feudalistic force was behind the agitation. He claimed this force was also against the concepts of ‘Bharatiyata’ (Indianness) and India’s self-reliance. Questioning the protest, he said, “Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has agreed to give a written guarantee that the system of procurement of crops at MSP will continue in the country. Then on what issue the farmers’ agitation is happening?” BJP’s Gujarat chief C R Paatil also alleged that the ongoing agitation was a planned conspiracy by the opposition parties to create anarchy in the country and to destabilise it.
Hitting out at the Congress, he said, “Congress was in favour of these agricultural reforms when it was in power. But now, the opposition party is spreading falsehood and misguiding farmers. People need to identify such forces and remain cautious about their motives.” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the issues flagged by the agitating farmers can be solved in five minutes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself steps in. “The government can solve the issue in 30 minutes sitting with the (agitating) farmers, if it wants…I think the issue will be solved in five minutes if the prime minister himself intervenes,” he told PTI.
Jaipur-Delhi Highway Remains Partially Blocked
The Jaipur-Delhi highway remained partially blocked as the farmers’ stir against the Centre’s agriculture laws entered its fourth day on the Haryana-Rajasthan border on Wednesday. Farmers led by Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav and former CPI (M) MLA Amra Ram are agitating on the stretch leading to Delhi in Shahjahanpur of Rajasthan’s Alwar district, which borders Haryana. They had blocked the road on Sunday after police stopped their march to Delhi.
“We have not closed the highway. The government has closed it. The authorities should remove barricades and everything will open in 10 minutes. I assure the public,” Yadav told reporters. He said they feel ashamed when people face problems. Last night, an ambulance arrived. We cleared the way but the Haryana Police did not remove barricades. Who is responsible for this,” he asked. In response to a question, Yadav said if farmers retreat today, then there will be no farmer movement in this country for the next 2025 years. People will not trust any farmer movement, he said.
Kisan Panchayat national president Rampal Chaudhary is also camping at the dharna site in Shahjahanpur. Former MLA Amra Ram claimed the agitation is being backed by farmer leaders from Gujarat and Haryana. He said the road have been closed to traffic by the Haryana government and its police. The government is crushing the constitutional right by not allowing farmers to go to Delhi, he said.
Police said around 300400 people are camping on the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Sub-Inspector Mahavir Singh posted at the site said the agitators have blocked the route from Jaipur to Delhi while the stretch from Delhi to Jaipur is open to traffic.
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