The Supreme Court on Monday was informed by the Punjab government that the farmers agitating for their demands including legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price for their agricultural produce would be meeting Justice Nawab Singh - the Chairperson of the High-Powered Committee that was constituted by the top court to negotiate with the protesting farmers.
The SKM, an umbrella body of various farmer unions, has said that its next strategy will be drawn up immediately after meeting the Governor at 11 am.
Some farmers were injured following lathicharge by the police to disperse a group of farmers who were heading towards Karnal to protest against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting attended by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The DMK government headed by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin had announced that a separate budget for agriculture will be presented by the government earlier.
Khattar said, in the second wave of the infection, the spread of Covid-19 has started from educational institutions, “so there is a need to be more vigilant, especially there”.
The decision has come a day ahead of the next round of talks between the farmer unions and government. The matter will now go back to the apex court for further orders.
In India, there is an opinion that while the government should remain cognizant of the protestors, it is unfortunate that issues of domestic policies in India have attracted unwarranted comments from politicians of the West
The decision to set up the committee is to help to solve the deadlock between the farmer unions and the government.
In an affidavit filed in court, the centre cited the constitutional and historic significance of the Republic Day, around which a cluster of events take place.
CM Khattar was scheduled to attend a farmers gathering at the village and talk about the Centre’s farm laws and their benefits. There was a heavy presence of police at the village ahead of the meeting.
