Farmers’ agitation against the three controversial farm laws came on the 22nd Thursday as the number of protesters continues to rise on Delhi’s borders. On Wednesday, the 21st of the protests, the Supreme Court heard petitions requesting instructions from the authorities to remove the protesters from the borders of the national capital. A bench of three superior court judges, headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, issued a notice to the Center in this regard and will resume the hearing on Thursday.
Here are the developments from the 21st day of the protests against the farm bill:
1. In its observations, the group headed by the CJI pointed out that if urgent measures are not taken, the protests may “soon become a national issue.” The high court suggested the formation of a committee consisting of government representatives, members of agricultural unions and members of agricultural unions from the rest of India.
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2. The court also noted that the Center’s negotiations have not worked properly and are “destined to fail again.” Compared to the Shaheen Bangh protests, he said, there can be no precedent in a law and order situation.
3. Attorney General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Center, alleged in court that “some other interests” have taken over the protests. “The problem is that their position is that either the government repeals the laws or we don’t speak,” Mehta said.
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4. Meanwhile, in reaction to developments in the high court, the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), a large platform of agricultural unions spearheading the upheaval, called it a great “moral victory for the farmers, “but also stressed that the movement will continue until all three laws are repealed.
5. In a tragic event on Wednesday, a Sikh cleric died by suicide on the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border, the epicenter of these protests. In a suicide note, Sant Baba Ram Singh from Karnal wrote that he was “hurt by seeing the plight of the farmers” and the “government oppression”.
6. The opposition lashed out at the Center after the suicide of the Sikh priest. The leader of Congress, Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, commented that the “brutality of the Modi government has crossed all limits.” He also demanded the removal of the laws against farmers.
7. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, continued its outreach work to clarify what it alleges is “misinformation” that the Opposition is spreading on agricultural laws. In Gwalior, the Union agriculture minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, once again stressed that the laws will benefit farmers across the country.
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8. Farmers, most of whom are from Punjab, have been protesting against these laws since September, when they were passed by the Center. Initially, they blocked the railroad tracks in Punjab. Then, in the last week of November, they came to Delhi to pressure the government to repeal the laws.
9. The protesting peasants have blocked several roads leading to the capital city and say they have enough ration and other basic necessities for months. They have warned that they will block the borders of Delhi until their demands are met.
10. In recent days, small groups of farmers from other states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have also joined. A group of farmers from Rajasthan have been sitting on the Delhi-Jaipur highway since Sunday.
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