Reacting to the Supreme Court’s proposals on the new farm laws enacted in September last year the farmers’ unions late on Monday evening unanimously resolved not to join the committee set up by the apex court. They said that though they respect the Supreme Court they have no faith on the Union government.
Earlier in the day the Supreme Court pulled up the Narendra Modi government for not handling the issue properly and added that if it cannot put on hold the three farm laws the apex court itself would move in and stay them.
The Supreme Court’s stand on Monday came as a big embarrassment to the Centre as it was only on January 8, that is during the eighth round of talks, that the Union government told the farmers that it was not going to repeal the three farm laws and that the farmers’ unions are free to move the Court. Now that the Court has taken strong exceptions to the way the Centre is handling the farmers’ agitation the government is finding it difficult to wriggle out of the crisis.
The farmers in a statement said that the Union government attitude in the Supreme Court clearly shows that it would not agree to discuss the demand for the repeal of the three laws even after the formation of a committee.
The Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde and two other judges on Monday proposed to set up a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to ‘amicably resolve’ the deadlock.
The Supreme Court is likely to issue an order in this regard on January 12, that is on the 48th day of the farmers’ agitation.
