As the Supreme Court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock between protesting farmers and the government over the three contentious f...
As the Supreme Court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock between protesting farmers and the government over the three contentious farm laws passed in September 2020 approaches its two-month deadline, it is unclear what it will have to show for its efforts.
Press releases and reports reveal that the panel has met with a number of stakeholders since it was appointed in January, but most of those named appear to already support the controversial laws. With the farmers unions, which have led a months-long protest movement against the laws, having rejected the panel outright, it seems unlikely that the report tabled in the Supreme Court later this month will resolve the standoff.
On January 12 – nearly 50 days after the farmer protest movement reached the borders of Delhi – the Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the laws and tasked the committee to speak with unions and other various stakeholders to assess the impact of the three laws.
As of February 26, the committee had held 15 meetings and invited suggestions on the farm laws on a web portal till February 20. But so far, it is unclear whom the committee has been talking to. Some of the press releases from the panel do not...
