The committee constituted of four members by Supreme court was named on Tuesday and is hearing petitions against the farm laws passed in the parliament in September by the Center following the court’s order. The Supreme Court said in its order that the committee will listen to the farmers grievances and also the views of the government to make recommendations.
However, the Punjab farmers unions have denied to accept the committee and to share their grievances as they say that the members of the committee back the farm laws and are justifying the laws in the favor of the government.
The four members committee includes Bhupinder Singh Mann, the national president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr Parmod Kumar Joshi, an agricultural economist who is also the Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; Anil Ghanwat, the chief of Shetkari Sanghatana, who has expressed views in the favor of farm laws in articles written in the media.
Mr Gulati, who was a member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council for the period of 1999- 2001, has also written his opinion in the Indian Express titled”Challenges to Farm Bills Harken Socialist Era, Attempt to undo Agriculture’ 1991 Moment,” and “We Need Laws that Give Farmers More Space to Sell Their Produce — New Farm Laws Fit This Bill”, and in December also spoke to the Times of India in the favor of farm laws stating that they will benefit the farmers.
Mr Ghanwat who is the President of the Shetkari Sangathan, a group in Maharashtra which had celebrated these farm laws. He told NDTV that the farmers should get the chance to market their produce and disagreed to any reform for the farm laws because the latest amendment is what the government has offered to the farmers.
Mr Ghanwat also expressed his views that there would be no repeal of the new farm laws as the farmers are demanding.
However, he also said that the government should have consulted the new farm bills with the farmers before going ahead with them. Supporting the court’s order he said that there was not much which there is so much outrage among the farmers and the government.
Mr Mann who was a part of group of farmers, who met with the Agricultural Minister Narendra Tomar in December to express his favor in the farm laws.
And last Mr Joshi who has also written multiple opinions in the favor of farm laws. In one of his opinions in Financial Express he said “Any dilution in the farm laws will constrain Indian agriculture in harnessing the emerging global opportunities.”
“Scrapping the three farm laws will be disastrous for the entire agriculture sector, more so for the farmers,” in another opinion he expressed.
Chief Justice of India in ordering the formation of committee said “We want to solve the problem and that’s why we are making the committee”.
“We have the power to appoint a committee, which will submit to us. All who are genuinely interested in solving the problem can go before the committee”.
The Supreme Court in its order of formation of committee made is compulsory for every member to be present for the deliberations of the committee.
The court also said in its order that the committee has to hold its first meeting within ten days and submit its first report within two months.
