Chandigarh: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 24 ordered the “constitution of an independent committee consisting of eminent personalities” to find an amicable solution as the farmers’ protest on Punjab-Haryana borders entered its sixth month.
The interim order was in response to a plea by Haryana government against the recent order of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which ordered it to remove barricades at Shambhu border on main Punjab-Haryana National Highway.
Barrier
Haryana closed the border on February 13 this year after farmers, mostly from Punjab, began their march to the national capital to renew their stir to get the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Union to legalise Minimum Support Price (MSP) that is announced every year by the central agency for 23 crops.
Farmers maintain that barring few crops for which government procurement is done – and that too in few states – cultivators are forced to sell their produce in the open market, much below MSP, due to lack of proper regulation by the Union government.
Farmers at Shambhu cover faces to protect themselves from tear gas. Photo: Vivek Gupta/The Wire
They have demanded a permanent solution to the problem through an MSP-guarantee law to prevent farmers’ exploitation by market forces. An indefinite protest began.
A delegation of Union ministers initially held talks with protesting farmers. The talks had remained inconclusive and farmers decided to continue their protests. In the meantime, Haryana police action at Shambhu border left several farmers, as well as policemen, injured. One farmer also died of a bullet injury for which a separate investigation is underway.
Currently, there is a deadlock to the situation with farmers resolved not to leave the border and wait for any possible opportunity to start their march towards the National Capital and create a countrywide hype on the lines of the historic 2020 farmers’ protest.
Also read: Farmers’ Protest: Deceased Youth’s Family Blame Haryana Police; 177 Hurt at Borders Since Feb 13
On the contrary, the Modi government at the Union, knowing well the political repercussions of a mass farmers’ agitation, has so far managed to keep the protesting farmers away from Delhi with the help of Haryana government, also ruled by BJP.
The Haryana government was quick to approach the apex court after Punjab and Haryana high court ordered it to unblock Shambu barrier – since opening the border could very well pave the way for agitating farmers to find their way to the national capital.
‘Status quo’
In its interim order on July 24, SC ordered to maintain status quo as far as border closure is concerned but sought to “form an independent committee comprising such eminent persons, who are able to reach out to the agitating farmers, Union of India, the State Governments as also the other stake-holders in order to find out some viable solution of the issues to the extent they are found to be just, fair, feasible and most importantly in the interest of one and all.”
The Shambhu border. Photo: Vivek Gupta/The Wire.
The order stated that states of Punjab and Haryana may suggest the names of committee members or else they can leave it to us to find out some suitable persons for the constitution of the Committee.
“Let appropriate instructions be taken within a week,” it added
It further said, “Till such time, it is directed that status quo shall be maintained so that no untoward incident takes place at the Shambhu border. The States of Haryana and Punjab are, meanwhile, directed to submit their respective proposals for the removal of barricades in a phased manner for the free flow of traffic and to redress the inconvenience being experienced by the public at large at the site.”
Reacting to the order, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, one of the leaders at current farmers protest at Shambhu border, told The Wire that while they would make a detailed comment after carefully studying the order, one aspect is very much clear that ever SC had no faith on BJP government, which resulted in formation of an independent committee to hold consultation with all stakeholders.
He said the BJP government both in Haryana and the Union government are continuously misleading the court on many issues in their attempt to put their peaceful protest in bad light. But, Dallewal added, they will not turn back since an MSP guarantee law is an important issue for the survival of farmers.
