Farm unions to cooperate with administration on Republic Day; to boycott SC-formed panel

On Tuesday, farmers' unions submitted an affidavit in Supreme Court making it clear that y will cooperate with ministration on Republic Day. Earlier, apex court h refused to restrain farmers from protesting in national capital on January 26 and empowered Delhi Police to take a decision on ir entry into national capital. Representing farm unions in SC, vocate AP Singh contended that re was justification for formation of 4-member committee.

He reiterated that ne of unions shall participate in meetings of SC-constituted committee as all its members h espoused support for farm laws. Apart from this, he pointed out that BKU president Bhupinder Singh Mann recused himself from committee "to t compromise interests of Punjab and farmers of country". This comes even as  panel has decided to hold its first meeting on January 21 where farmer unions have option of appearing in person or through video conferencing. 

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SC's attempt to resolve standoff

On January 12, a three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian laid down  romap for resolution of standoff by staying  implementation of farm laws. Moreover, it has t only ordered that  MSP system in place before enactment of agrarian legislation shall continue but also me it clear that landholdings of farmers shall be protected. As per order,  SC-constituted committee including agricultural ecomist Ashok Gulati, Pramod Kumar Joshi- Director, South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute and Shetkari Sanghatana president Anil Ghanwat will solicit views of farm unions and Centre.

This panel has been directed to submit its recommendations pertaining to farm laws to SC within two months from date of its first sitting. ditionally, representatives of all farmer unions, irrespective of wher y are holding a protest or t, have been asked to participate in deliberations of committee and put forth ir viewpoints. Though court said that it did t intend to stifle a "peaceful protest", it appealed to farmers' unions to convince ir members to get back to ir livelihood as a result of this "extraordinary order". 

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