‘Court’s doors are always open’, SC tells protesting farmers

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that protesting farmers are free to put their grievances directly before the apex court after it was told that the farmer leaders did not attend the meeting with the court-appointed panel.

Saying that the court’s doors are always open, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said that farmers can put forth their demands directly before the top court or through their authorised representative.

The Bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, asked the Punjab authorities to ensure that proper medical aid is given to farmer leader Dallewal, who is on fast unto death.

The 70-year-old cancer patient Dallewal has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.

Justice Kant-led Bench expressed concerns over the deteriorating health of Dallewal and stressed that the Punjab government should take care of his health.

On Sunday, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav along with the director of Union Ministry of Home Affairs Mayank Mishra met farmer leader Dallewal on the Supreme Court’s directive. This has been the first meeting between the Union government and a farm leader since talks with farmers remained inconclusive in February.

Last week, the top court refused to entertain a fresh plea seeking directions to immediately clear the blockage of national as well as state highways in Punjab, which “alleged farmers and farmer unions” have blocked permanently for an indefinite period.

“Why are you filing repeated petitions? We are already seized of the matter and have already taken some initiatives. There is no question of repeated petitions,” Justice Kant-led Bench told the PIL litigant.

“In pending PIL, we never say ‘no’ to any counsel. You assist us on the fixed date, we will see what orders could be passed on the opening of highways,” the apex court said.

Saying that no fresh petition should be entertained on the same subject matter, it proceeded to dismiss the fresh plea but granted liberty to the petitioner’s counsel to assist in the pending matter relating to the “larger public interest issue”.

In September, the Supreme Court had ordered the formation of a committee to amicably resolve the grievances of the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border.

It had suggested the panel headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to hold negotiations with the protesting farmers for the removal of their tractors, trolleys, etc from the national highway for ease of the general public.

Further, the apex court had granted liberty to farmers to shift their peaceful protests to an alternative site.

Apart from Justice Nawab Singh, the panel comprised former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agricultural analyst Devender Sharma, Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, agricultural economist Dr Sukhpal Singh, and Prof Baldev Raj Kamboj as a special invitee.

–IANS

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