Supreme Court Calls for Barricade Removal Plan and Proposes an Independent Committee to Address Farmer Demands, Including MSP Guarantee
Recognizing a “trust deficit” between farmers and the central government, the Supreme Court suggested forming an independent committee of distinguished individuals to engage with protesters at the Shambhu border and address their demands, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The court has asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to propose suitable candidates for this committee and provide a plan for the removal of barricades on the national highway. Meanwhile, the court ordered a status quo at the border for one week.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Surya Kant emphasized the need for a “neutral umpire” to bridge the gap between the farmers and the government, stating, “You have to take some steps to reach out to farmers. Why would they otherwise want to come to Delhi? You are sending Ministers from here and despite their best intentions there is trust deficit,” the bench, which also includes Justices Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan, said.
The bench instructed both parties to maintain the status quo at the Shambhu border, cautioning against escalating the situation, and set the next hearing for a week later.
This hearing was in response to Haryana’s appeal against a high court order directing the removal of barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been protesting since February 13.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned that while initial protests were against three agricultural laws, the farmers now have new demands. The Supreme Court stated that the government, as a welfare state, must consider these demands, acknowledging that some may be valid while others might not be acceptable.
The court emphasized that highways cannot remain blocked indefinitely. Mehta warned of potential law and order issues if the protestors, equipped with what he described as “armored tanks,” were allowed to march to Delhi.
Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Singh argued that while Haryana can regulate movement, the blockade on the national highway was severely affecting Punjab’s economy.
The Haryana government had cited the blockade as a law and order issue in its appeal. On July 12, the Supreme Court questioned Haryana’s authority to block the highway, urging them to regulate but not block traffic.
Haryana had erected barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi highway following announcements by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha that farmers would march to Delhi with demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.
The court, led by Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, had previously instructed Haryana to clear the barricades, emphasizing that farmers are also citizens entitled to proper treatment and freedom of movement. Justice Kant remarked, “Give them food and good medical care. They will come, raise slogans, and go back. I think you don’t commute by road.”
The Supreme Court’s observations came during a hearing of Haryana’s appeal against a March 7 decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The high court had ordered the formation of a committee led by a former judge to investigate the death of farmer Shubhkaran Singh during a clash between farmers and Haryana security personnel in February.
Singh, a 21-year-old from Bathinda, was killed, and several police officers were injured during the clash at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21. The incident occurred when protesters attempted to breach barricades and were stopped by security personnel from advancing toward Delhi.
The high court had permitted state governments to take legal preventive measures in case of law and order issues and ordered the removal of barricades by both Punjab and Haryana, ensuring public order is maintained.
(With inputs from PTI)
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