Why are the protesting farmers avoiding the Supreme Court panel? Know what suggestions and solutions were given by the committee

New Delhi: Farmers’ agitation continues on the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab-Haryana. In view of this movement, the Supreme Court had constituted a high level committee. But the deadlock continues between this committee and farmer leaders. United Kisan Morcha (political) and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) have refused to meet the committee. This committee was formed to look into the demands of the farmers. Some leaders of the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) met the committee, but they were not prominent leaders of the organization. Why are farmer leaders not meeting the committee, and what is the work of this committee? Let us understand. Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that after two days of discussion, he/she decided not to meet the committee. he/she says that the work of the committee does not match the demands of the farmers. Rajewal said, ‘The committee had to provide space for the protesting farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu borders, but they could not do so. Therefore, we decided not to attend their meeting on January 3, as we feel it will harm the movement. Rajewal said, ‘When Jagjit Singh Dallewal is on a fast unto death, he/she does not want to be seen attending the meeting.’

When was the committee formed?

The Supreme Court had constituted this high level committee on 2 September. The court had said that ‘the committee is requested to talk to the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border and convince them to remove their tractor-trolleys, tents and other items from the national highway so that the administration of both the states can open the highway.’

‘With the consent of both the states…’

Justices Surya Kant and Ujjwal Bhuyan also said, ‘We hope and believe that a major demand of the protesting farmers, the formation of a neutral high-level committee, has been accepted with the consent of both the states, they will immediately implement the request for a high-level committee. Will respond and vacate Shambhu border or other roads connecting the two states without any delay. This will provide great relief to the general public, who are facing immense difficulties due to the blockade of highways. This will also help the high-level committee and both the states to consider the genuine and reasonable demands of the farmers in an impartial manner. The work of the committee is also to investigate major issues related to agriculture.

What did the Supreme Court say?

The Supreme Court said, ‘We would also like to state that the States of Punjab and Haryana have a large population of non-agricultural communities – who largely belong to the marginalized sections of the society and live below the poverty line. Most of them are the strength and backbone of agricultural activities in their villages. We acknowledge their contribution to agricultural development and we believe that their legitimate aspirations, if not enforceable rights, will also be taken into consideration by the Committee while examining the larger issues faced by the farming community in the States of Punjab and Haryana. And deserve fair consideration.’

Supreme Court praised the work of the panel

The chairmanship of the panel constituted by the Supreme Court has been handed over to Justice (Retd) Nawab Singh, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This panel has been formed on the suggestion of Punjab and Haryana governments. The job of this panel is to understand the problems of farmers and suggest solutions. The panel includes stalwarts from the agriculture and security sectors. The Supreme Court has appreciated the honesty and expertise of the panel members.

What’s in the committee’s report?

• The committee had submitted its first report to the Supreme Court on 22 November. The report listed the causes of the agricultural crisis in Punjab and Haryana, including stagnant yields, rising costs, debt and inadequate marketing systems.
• The committee suggested solutions including legalizing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and examining the possibility of providing direct income support.
• In its 11-page report, the panel said, ‘The farming community in the country in general and the farmers of Punjab and Haryana in particular have been facing increasing crisis for over two decades. Stagnation in yield and output growth since the mid-1990s marked the beginning of the crisis.’
• It further said, ‘According to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), in 2022-23, institutional credit to farmers in Punjab was Rs 73,673 crore, while in Haryana it was Rs 76,630 crore. There is also a significant burden of non-institutional debt on farmers, which, according to the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), is estimated to be 21.3 percent of the total outstanding debt on farmers in Punjab and 32 percent in Haryana.’
• The report said the farming community across the country is grappling with an epidemic of suicide. In India, more than 4 lakh farmers and agricultural laborers have committed suicide since 1995. In Punjab, a house-to-house survey conducted by three public sector universities recorded 16,606 suicides among farmers and agricultural laborers over 15 years (2000 to 2015).

What will happen next?

Now the committee is preparing its second report on increasing agricultural income, which also includes MSP. For this, the committee has met various stakeholders including directors of agriculture and horticulture departments of Punjab and Haryana. More meetings are to be held from January 7. It has called for institutions working on agricultural policies. Vijay Pal Sharma, Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, has been called. NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand has also been invited. Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) has been invited. Apart from this, MD of Amul has also been called.