The Supreme Court on Monday established a high-powered committee to resolve the issues of farmers protesting at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana. Led by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the committee aims to address the farmers’ concerns without politicizing the matter.
A bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed the committee to hold its first meeting within a week and work with the protesting farmers to clear the tractors and trolleys blocking the Shambhu border, thereby alleviating the difficulties faced by commuters. The court also stated that the Punjab and Haryana governments were welcome to propose solutions to the committee.
The committee includes retired IPS officer PS Sandhu, Devender Sharma, Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, and Dr. Sukhpal Singh, an agricultural economist at Punjab Agricultural University. Additionally, the panel was directed to consult Professor B R Kamboj, Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, as a special invitee when necessary.
The court urged the committee to ask the farmers to remove their tractors and vacate the border area, expressing hope that the farmers would cooperate to relieve the public’s difficulties. The court also cautioned the protesting farmers to avoid involvement with political parties and refrain from making unrealistic demands. It emphasized that the committee would address the farmers’ concerns gradually, and the farmers were free to shift their peaceful protests to other locations.
This decision came as the court was hearing a petition from the Haryana government, which had sought the removal of barricades at the Shambhu border. The barricades were initially placed in response to the ‘Samyukta Kisan Morcha’ and ‘Kisan Mazdoor Morcha’ announcing a march to Delhi to demand a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP) for crops. The farmers have been protesting at the border since February 13.
