The Supreme Court of India has “stayed the implementation of three farm laws until further orders” and has decided to form a committee to solve the deadlock between the protesting farmers and the central government.
The CJI said, “We are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture. We don’t want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee. We are looking to solve the problem.”
CJI bobde further observed, “We are concerned about validity of the laws and also about protecting life and property of citizens affected by 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.”
The Committee
The SC ordered to form a four member committee including Agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Bhupinder Singh Mann, President BKU and All India Coordination Committee, Pramod Kumar Joshi( Director South Asia international Food Policy), Anil Ghanwat (Shethkari Sangathan). CJI further added to this,
“This committee will be for us. All of you people who are expected to solve the issue will go before this committee. It will not pass an order or punish you, it will only submit a report to us.”
The court further added, “The committee is part of the judicial process in this case. We are planning to suspend the laws but not indefinitely.”
The apex court sought cooperation of farmers’ unions, mentioning “those who genuinely want resolution, will go to the committee” on farm laws
The court further said to farm unions that “This is not politics. There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperate.”
Case Background
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian of the Supreme Court on Monday had expressed its inclination to stay the three Farm Laws and also expressed disappointment at the manner in which the Centre has handled the issue observing that the central government has failed to solve the problem.
Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
The three farm laws, Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Act 2020, Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act & Amendment to Essential Commodities Act were established before the Court as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional.
It was said that these farm laws would dismantle the Agriculture Produce Market Committee system intended to ensure fair prices for farm products.
“They will pave the way for cartelization and commercialization of agriculture produced and if allowed to stand will completely ruin our country as the corporates can, with one stroke, export our agriculture produce without any regulation,” one of the petitioners have submitted.
It has also been contended that the laws passed are “unconstitutional” and “anti-farmer.”
