The Supreme Court of India took a definitive step on Monday to address the ongoing farmers’ protests at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana. In a bid to defuse the situation and ensure that the issues raised by the farmers are resolved amicably, the court established a high-powered committee led by Justice Nawab Singh, a retired judge from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, presiding over the bench, mandated that the committee’s inaugural meeting occur within a week. The committee is tasked with engaging directly with the farmers to facilitate the removal of their tractors and trolleys from the border area, thereby easing the significant disruptions faced by commuters.
The formation of the committee, which includes retired IPS officer PS Sandhu, Devender Sharma, Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, and Sukhpal Singh, an agricultural economist from Punjab Agricultural University, aims to constructively address the grievances of the farmers. Additionally, Professor BR Kamboj, vice-chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, will serve as a special invitee to provide expert advice when necessary.
The court highlighted the need for the protesting farmers to maintain a safe distance from political influences and to avoid insisting on unfeasible demands. It emphasized that the issues should be tackled in a phased, non-politicized manner, allowing the farmers the freedom to relocate their peaceful protests to alternative designated sites if they choose.
This intervention by the Supreme Court follows a plea from the Haryana government, which challenged a previous high court order to remove barricades set up at the border near Ambala. These barricades were erected in February after farmer groups announced plans to march to Delhi in support of demands including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
