3 farm laws put on hold by Supreme Court, committee formed for negotiations

As farmers agitation against three newly enacted farm laws entered the 48th day on Tuesday the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of three farms laws until further orders and formed a committee for negotiations to end the protestsldquoWe are concerned about the validity of the laws and also about protecting life and property of citizens affected by the protests We are trying to solve the problem in accordance with the powers we have One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation and make a committee Chief Justice SA Bobde saidldquoWe are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture We dont want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee We are looking to solve the problem If you farmers want to agitate indefinitely you can do so This committee will be for us It will not pass an order or punish you it will only submit a report to usrdquo the CJI addedChief Justice Bobde said the committee is part of the judicial process in this case ldquoWe are planning to suspend the laws but not indefinitelyrdquo he saidThe Chief Justice mentioned the names of agriculture economist Ashok Gulati Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi Anil Dhanawat and BS Mann to be on the committee to hear the farmers issues regarding the lawsAdvocate ML Sharma representing the farmers said the farmers are saying many persons came for discussions but the main person the Prime Minister did not comeldquoWe cannot ask the Prime Minister anything he is not a party in the case This is not politics There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperaterdquo said the Chief JusticeSenior advocates Dushyant Dave HS Phoolka and Colin Gonsalves who represent 400 farmers bodies did not join the proceedings ldquoThey were supposed to consult the farmers on formation of a committee and come back todayrdquo said senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for one of the petitionersSalve said staying implementation of the laws should not be seen as a political victory ldquoIt should be seen as a serious examination of concerns expressed over the legislationsrdquo he addedThe top court also issued notice to farmers unions on a Delhi Police plea to stop a tractor rally during the January 26 Republic Day paradeAll India Kisan Sabha General Secretary Hannan Mollah told IANS on Tuesday that the farmer organisations respect the Supreme Court but they are unwilling to go before any committee which may be appointed by the apex courtHe clearly said These acts are not in favour of farmers so we are demanding to repeal itOn the suggestions of the Supreme Court to stay and appoint a committee to look into the matter he said The government will not discuss the issue of repealing the laws as seen during eight rounds of talksThe government wants to linger the matter We are not in favour of putting the implementation of new farm laws on hold we want them to be repealed said Hannan MollahHe also said that farmers have no intention to disrupt the functions on the Republic Day as they will take out kisan parade across the country on January 26 after the main function completesHannan Mollah said The demonstrations against these three farm laws and the demand for repealing them will continue at the district headquarters across the country till January 20 After that a threeday programme of demonstrations will start on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti on January 23 and it will continue for two daysA farmer leader from Punjab and General Secretary of Bharatiya kisan union Lakhowal Harinder Singh told IANS that farmers are going to burn the copies of the three farm laws on the auspicious occasion of Lohri in a move to intensify stir against these lawsHe said Farmers agitation will continue till the government is ready to withdraw these laws Thousands of farmers have been demonstrating here at the bordering points of the national capital since November 23 2020 They are demanding the repealing of the new laws enacted by the Centre last year and framing a new law which will give legal guarantee of minimum support price MSP of crops to the farmers