Farmers welcome SC stay but firm on repeal of laws
NEW DELHI: Farmer leaders on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court order to stay the implementation of the three contentious farm laws but refused to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the apex court on the final decision.
The unions also reiterated that they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed.
“We welcome the court’s order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws, which is our main demand,” Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, told news agency PTI.
Speaking on similar lines, another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said that the agitation will continue till the farm laws are completely withdrawn.
All India Kisan Sabha (Punjab) vice-president Lakhbir Singh said they would wait to see the functioning of the committee appointed by the apex court.
“We do not have faith in the idea of a committee and we have been saying this since the very beginning, when the government had suggested the formation of a committee. But this time, it is the Supreme Court and we will see the functioning of this committee,” he told the news agency.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Punjab) senior vice-president Manjeet Singh also said that the unions would not vacate the protesting site till the laws are repealed.
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision, but it is still a stay and not a repeal of the three laws. So we will not move from here until the laws are repealed,” he said.
Singh added: “The agitation will continue. We are against the idea of a committee, but there is a difference between a committee formed by the government and a committee formed by the Supreme Court.”
While staying the three contentious farm laws, – the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment)
Act – the top court had set up a four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmers’ unions who have been protestesting at Delhi’s borders since November 26. Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the laws.
At least eight rounds of meetings have been held between the government and farmers, but have not yielded any results. The next meeting is expected to be held in mid-january.
“We are going to suspend the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders,” Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde had said.
“Every person who is genuinely interested in solving the problem is expected to go before the committee,” the court observed.
Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar welcomed the apex court’s order. “A welcome decision taken by the Apex Court of India to put on hold the implementation of three farm bills and set up a four member committee to resolve the issues. #Supremecourt #Farmlaws,” he tweeted.
However, former Union law minister Ashwani Kumar wondered if the Supreme Court would be able to resolve the issue.
“I do not know to what extent the Supreme Court eventually able to resolve the matter. The responsive government must come forward now to favourably consider the demand of the farmers,” he told news agency ANI.