Farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the protesting farmers holding a sit-in at the Shambhu border of Punjab and Haryana to adopt the 'Gandhian way' and directed the court-appointed high-powered panel to engage with the farmers and persuade them to temporarily suspend their agitation or move away from the highways.
"Farmers should not get violent and do peaceful agitation. They should adopt the Gandhian way of protests because their grievances are being looked into," the bench said after being informed that violent agitations had created problems at both the sites.
"The primary task of the committee is to convince the farmers to either shift or suspend their agitation pending decisions of the governments,” said the bench. The panel was formed by the Supreme Court on September 2, with Justice Nawab Singh, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, as its head, to negotiate with the farmers.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also directed that immediate medical aid be provided to Punjab's farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a fast for the past 17 days. The bench instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh to ensure that no force was used against Dallewal to end his hunger strike unless it was necessary to save his life.
"You both look into this issue immediately and ensure that it is resolved," the bench told Mehta and Singh. It also suggested that Dallewal be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or nearby Patiala city for urgent medical intervention if necessary. The court would look at the shifting of the farmer leader to a hospital on December 17.
Dallewal has been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, demanding that the Centre accept the farmers' requests, including a legal guarantee for MSP on crops. On December 2, the court had asked Dallewal to persuade the protesting farmers to refrain from blocking highways and causing inconvenience to the public, saying that one could engage in peaceful protest without disrupting daily life.
Farmers under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. This time, in addition to demands for MSP guarantees, the farmers are seeking measures to ensure the financial sustainability of farming, including a farm debt waiver, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and no increase in electricity tariffs.