Farmer leaders welcome SC decision staying three farm laws, but say protest to continue

New Delhi: The farmer leaders representative welcomed the Supreme Court’s order to stay the implementation of three farm laws but said they would not call off their protest until the legislations are repealed. 

The Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, has called a meeting later in the day to decide the next course of action. The farmer leaders said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee appointed by the Supreme Court, but a formal decision on this will be taken by the Morcha. 

“We welcome the court’s order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws,” Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI. 

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 12) stayed the implementation of three farms laws until further orders.

The apex court ordered to constitute a four-member committee to be headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse. According to reports, Harsimrat Mann, Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi, agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and Shivkari Sanghatna member Anil Dhanavat will be a part of the committee to be set up.

The top court, while hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the three central farm laws passed by the Parliament, sought the cooperation of protesting farmers at Delhi borders and said no power can prevent it from setting up a committee to resolve the impasse over controversial farm laws.

The observation of the bench asking protesting farmers bodies to cooperate assume significance in view of reports that they would not go to any apex court-appointed panel for resolution of disputes and wanted repeal of laws only.

Meanwhile, thousands of farmers protesting at Delhi borders have said that they will burn copies of Centre’s new agriculture laws at all demonstration sites on the festival of Lohri on Wednesday, as a mark of protest against the contentious legislation.

Farmers’ leader Manjeet Singh Rai said they will celebrate Lohri by burning the copies of farm laws at all protest sites in the evening, according to the news agency PTI.