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The court had first suggested to form a neutral committee with representatives of the government and farmer unions along with agricultural experts to resolve the deadlock on December 17. On Monday too, the court insisted on the formation of a committee for resolving the matter.
On seeking more time and insisting on implementing the laws, CJI scolded the Centre saying, "We don’t see why there should be an insistence that the laws must be implemented at any cost. We don’t know if you are part of the problem or solution.”
"You tell us if you will put on hold the implementation of the laws,” the court told the government. “Otherwise we will do it. What is the problem in keeping it in abeyance?”
It noted that the situation had gotten worse since the last hearing. “People are committing suicide,” the court noted. “People are suffering in the cold....We are proposing to set up a committee. We also propose to stay the implementation of the laws.”
When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that many farmer organisations have supported the 'progressive legislations', the court remarked, “We don’t have any single petition before us saying that the laws are good.”
The Attorney General argued that only two or three states were protesting against the reforms. “The law is a crystallisation of the recommendations of several committees,” he added. “If your lordships stay the law, it will cause tremendous loss to the 2,000 farmers....Court cannot do indirectly what it cannot do directly.”
The court, however, said it was well aware of the laws, and noted, “We are sorry to say that you, as the Union of India, are not able to solve the problem. You have made a law without enough consultation resulting in a strike. So you have to resolve the strike.”
CJI told senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is representing the farmers, “We are not against protests. Don’t understand that the court is stifling protests. But we ask, if after the laws are stayed, will you move the site of protests to accommodate people’s concerns." He also asked advocate HS Phoolka to persuade old people and women at the protest sites to go back home.
Justice Bobde also said that after the formation of the proposed committee, the farmers must point out their grievances before them item by item, and not insist on repealing them. Then the committee will decide on it.
The Supreme Court will continue hearing the matter on Tuesday. It may also pass an order on the petitions.
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