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Farm leaders refuse to appear before panel, stick to hard line
The top court named members to panel, all of who were “pro-reforms” and “pro-government”, all the more reason not to take part in its consultations, leaders of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform for the protesting farm unions, told reporters.
Farm unions protesting a set of agricultural laws on Tuesday spurned the Supreme Court’s proposed committee of four to scrutinise the three contentious legislation, saying they would not participate in its consultations because farmers wanted the laws repealed, not changed.
The farm unions, who have been rigid about their stand despite several amendments proposed by the government to address some of their objections to the new legislation, said they unanimously decided to stay off the proposed panel on Monday as a “precautionary step” when the Supreme Court first proposed it.
The top court named members to panel, all of who were “pro-reforms” and “pro-government”, all the more reason not to take part in its consultations, leaders of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform for the protesting farm unions, told reporters.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday put the implementation of the three farm laws approved by Parliament in September on hold, and set up a committee of experts to examine the laws “threadbare”.
“During the course of the agitation, it became clear that the court wanted a committee. Our lawyers told the court that they would get back after taking instructions from us,” farm leader Darshan Pal told HT.
“We wanted to steer clear of the panel because that is a way of diverting the main issue, which is a repeal of the laws. That’s why our lawyers were not present today in court,” he added.
The decision of protesting farm unions not to cooperate with the SC-proposed panel only deepens the stalemate.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, another farm leader, said the unions would go ahead with their planned tractor parade on Republic Day inside the national capital in a “peaceful way”.
“A lot of lies are being spread that we will lay siege to Parliament or take over the Red Fort on Republic Day. Our programme will be peaceful. We will announce the complete modalities after January 15,” Rajewal said.
The leaders said their Republic Day parade would commence after the official celebrations at the Capital Rajpath vista conclude.
The farmers’ leaders, however, said they would participate in the next round of talks with the government slated for January 15.
The court on Tuesday issued a notice to the farm leaders after a Delhi Police petition asked that they be restrained from marching into Delhi on January 26.
Tens of thousands of farmers are camping on Delhi’s borders, protesting a set of laws to ease restrictions on farm trade, which they say will leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
Eight rounds of negotiations between the farmers and the Union government have failed to break the impasse.
Rajewal said the four-members named for the committee were “pro-reforms and pro-government”.
Jagmohan Singh, another farm leader, said: “The government is trying to end our movement. We want to tell the government that this is an indefinite movement and we will not go anywhere till the three new farm laws are repealed.”
The Supreme Court could help farmers by taking suo moto cognisance and repealing the laws, said another farmer leader Raminder Singh Patiala.
The farm leaders said they favoured direct negotiations with the government and not with an “external committee”.
The agitation at Delhi’s four key borders – Singhu, Tikri, UP Gate, and Chilla – entered its 48th day on Tuesday.
“The Supreme Court’s formation of a committee and farmers’ refusal to take part in it not only exposes the trust deficit between the government and farmers but also the limitation of the judiciary’s role in arbitrating an essentially political and economic issue,” said Sudhir Panwar, a farm economist and former member of Uttar Pradesh Planning Commission.
