Farmers reject SC’s mediation committee proposal, say ‘nothing less than repeal’
AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
Even as the Supreme Court today stayed the implementation of the farm laws until further orders, farmers have announced that they will not end agaitation untill the the controversial laws are scrapped.
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s order staying the implementation of the three farm laws, protesting farmers’ unions said nothing less than repeal of the Acts was acceptable to them and they would continue their agitation till their demand was met.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said the farmers will not go back till the government withdraws the laws.
On the court’s decision, Tikait said that the unions will study the court’s order to decide further course of action and issue a statement after conducting a meeting with the core committee and the legal team.
Tikait also said that the tractor rally will continue as per the plan on January 26 and the farmers will not leave the borders.
Kirti Kisan Union vice-president Rajinder Singh Deep Singhwala said they had made their position clear before they started their protests at the entry points to Delhi in November. “Our position is clear from the first day that neither will we accept amendments to the Central farm Acts, nor accept any stop-gap arrangement,” he said.
Jagmohan Singh of BKU (Dakaunda) said they had already rejected the government’s proposal of setting up a committee of experts or any third-party mediation. “We don’t want any mediator. Why can’t the Centre immediately convene a Parliament session to repeal the laws? Why is it so adamant?” he said.
The remarks came moments after the apex court suspended the implementation to the laws and formed a four-member committee to listen to the farmers’ grievances and resolve the matter.
“Implementation of the three laws stayed until further orders,” said Chief Justice of India SA Bobde. A three-judge bench, headed by the CJI, heard a batch of petitions, including those filed by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, RJD MP Manoj K Jha, regarding the constitutional validity of three farm laws, passed by the Central government, and the plea to disperse protesting farmers.
“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. If you (farmers) want to agitate indefinitely, you can do so,” CJI Bobde said.
“We are concerned about the validity of the laws and also about protecting the 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,” he said.
“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 committee is part of the judicial process in this case. We are planning to suspend the laws but not indefinitely,” he added.
