SC asks Haryana, Punjab to name experts for talks with farmers on Shambhu stir

Farmers have been protesting over their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for their produce.

A smooth beginning must be made to remove the prevailing blockade by farmers at the Shambhu border, the Supreme Court remarked on Friday as it asked the Haryana and Punjab governments to suggest the names of some neutral experts to reach out to farmers protesting over their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.

Protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border since February 13, when they were stopped by the Haryana police while attempting to march towards Delhi.

Dealing with Haryana’s appeal challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court order asking it to remove within a week the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala, the top court on July 24 directed status quo to be maintained at the border and proposed formation of a committee to talk with the farmers, noting a deep “trust deficit” between the farmers and the state government.

Protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border since February 13, when they were stopped by the Haryana police while attempting to march towards Delhi to press for a raft of demands.

“In a democratic setup, they have a right to vent their grievances. But the state must show statesmanship and try to persuade them that let the agricultural equipment be taken to farms,” a bench of justices Surya Kant and R Mahadevan said. “Nobody should precipitate the situation.”

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for Haryana, informed the top court that modalities are being worked out to implement the court’s July 24 order. Stating that the order required both states to lift the blockade in a phased manner, Mehta insisted that Punjab should suggest how it intended to proceed on its side of the border.

“We want a smooth beginning in terms of dialogue process. These are issues you both need to streamline,” the bench remarked.

Mehta informed the court that trolleys, tractors and JCBs are parked on the other side of the border and they cannot be permitted through the border due to law-and-order concerns.

The Punjab government, represented by advocate general Gurminder Singh, suggested that vehicles that are permitted to ply on the highways should be allowed to pass through. One of the advocates appearing for high court petitioner Uday Pratap Singh said that the border should be opened at least for ambulances and other essential vehicles as people living in areas close to the protest site are unable to avail even medical facilities in Ambala due to the blockade.

“Their side of the road is blocked,” Mehta said. “Let them (Punjab) first suggest how they will remove the blockade.”

Noting the stiff positions, the bench persuaded the two states to consider the possibility of allowing some relaxation by providing an arrangement at the border. “Suppose if an ambulance is coming or there is a car with senior citizens, you can have a list of such vehicles prepared and send to them and the police may permit them,” it said.

Both sides assured the court they will suggest names of persons who could be part of the committee to resolve the deadlock by the next hearing. The court underscored the need of such experts to be neutral and who can understand the issues of farmers. “There can be persons who are committed to finding a genuine solution in the national interest,” the bench said. “They could be agricultural scientists or economists or even former judges having a farming background. We will welcome if both sides suggest common names.”

The bench posted the matter for August 12, extending its interim order directing status quo.

The Ambala-New Delhi highway was barricaded at the Shambhu border in February after farmer unions Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced a march to the Capital to press for their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. After Haryana police stopped the farmers, largely from Punjab, at the Shambhu border on February 13, protesters have been camping there since.

On February 21, Shubhkaran Singh (21), a farmer from Bhatinda, was killed in clashes between the police and farmers who tried to move towards the barricades.