Protesting farmers refuse to accept SC panel’s invite for talks, say ‘it’s being imposed on them’

The two-page letter raises seven points describing the inability of the farmers organisations to hold talks with the committee. The letter is signed by nine farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande, Jaswinder Singh Longowal, Inderjit Singh Kotbudha, Amarjit Singh Mohri, Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, Manjit Singh Rai and Abhimanyu Kohad.

They further wrote that it has been said that there was no demand made by farmer organisations to form a committee. During the beginning of the movement in February, the Centre had proposed to form a committee which was rejected by the agitating farmers. Farmer leaders said had that reading the order of the Supreme Court, it appears that the proposal to form a committee is being forcibly imposed on us.

They added that in 2004, the Centre had set up National Farmers Commission under the chairmanship of MS Swaminathan, which recommended giving MSP as per the C2+50% formula, but neither the UPA nor the NDA governments implemented it. The government rather gave it in writing to the Supreme Court that the Centre cannot implement it. The Supreme Court also did not take any strict stand on it.

The letter also stated that had the Supreme Court taken the stand and formed a commission at that time, they would have trusted the committee and accepted its recommendations.

The farmer leaders further said that the Supreme Court order discusses the government’s allegations of farmers being armed but there is no discussion on the atrocities on farmers with poisonous gases and shells. There is no discussion on hundreds of farmers getting injured, five farmers losing their eyesight, their tractors and trolleys getting damaged . They also questioned farmer Shubhkaran’s death due to police firing. The farmer leaders also said that the SC said that farmers should stay away from politics while the whole country knows that the movement going on since February 13 is completely non-political. No one was allowed to use the political platform, they said.

The farmer leaders said that in the letter sent by the SC, there is no discussion on their jurisdiction and rights to implement their recommendations.