SC panel cancels meeting with farmer leaders after SKM bails out

The Supreme Court had constituted a committee under former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh to resolve the grievances of the farmers agitating at the Shambhu border.

3 min readChandigarhJan 3, 2025 04:10 PM IST

The panel has already met leaders of the SKM (non-political). However, only the second-rung leadership had attended the meeting. (File photo)

The high-powered committee constituted by the Supreme Court to hold negotiations with the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana on Friday cancelled a meeting with union leaders in Panchkula on Friday after the Punjab unit of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) decided not to attend it.

“We had only called farmers leaders of SKM. They refused to be a part of the meeting. Hence we had to postpone it. It has been deferred till we decide on the further date,” a source privy to the developments said.

Earlier, Balbir Singh Rajewal, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), and Prem Singh Bhangu, president of All India Kisan Federation (AIKF), had said in a joint statement that the mandate given to the committee formed on September 2 last year was to reach out to protesting farmers at the Shambhu border. They said that since the SKM was not part of the agitation at the Shambhu border, they would not attend the meeting.

The panel has already met leaders of the SKM (non-political). However, only the second-rung leadership had attended the meeting.

The committee was constituted on September 2 under former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh to resolve grievances of farmers agitating at the Shambhu border. It comprises retired IPS officer BS Sandhu, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma, economist Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman and Punjab State Farmers’ and Farm Workers’ Commission chairman Sukhpal Singh.

What the committee said in its interim report

In its interim report submitted to the Supreme Court on November 22, the panel listed reasons behind agrarian distress, including stagnant yield, rising costs and debt and inadequate marketing system.

The committee suggested solutions, including examining the possibility of giving legal sanctity to minimum support price (MSP) and offering direct income support.

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In its 11-page interim report, the panel had stated, “The farming community in the country in general and that of Punjab and Haryana, in particular, has been facing an ever-increasing crisis for over two decades. The stagnation in yield and production growth since the mid-1990s marked the beginning of the crisis.”

It added, “In 2022-23, the institutional debt on farmers in Punjab was Rs 73,673 crore, while in Haryana it was Rs 76,630 crore as per the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). There is also a significant burden of non-institutional debt on farmers, which is estimated to be 21.3 per cent of total outstanding debt on farmers in Punjab and 32 per cent in Haryana, according to the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).”

The report had stated that the farming community across the country was also struggling with a suicide epidemic. “In India, over 4 lakh farmers and farm workers have committed suicides since 1995. In Punjab, a house-to-house survey conducted by three public sector universities recorded 16,606 suicides among farmers and farm workers in 15 years (2000 to 2015),” it said.

Kanchan Vasdev

Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government: 1. Legislative & Governance Standoffs "Punjab govt advances special Assembly session to pass resolution against VB-G RAM G Bill" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the state's move to block the Centre's "Viksit Bharat" mission, which the state claims will undermine MGNREGA. "Punjab govt doubles down on special sessions, sixth in January" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing the AAP government's use of special sessions as a legislative tool amid tensions with the Governor. "Punjab asks 'VIP teachers' working near Chandigarh to go back to border districts" (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on CM Mann's move to end the practice of influential teachers avoiding postings in remote areas. 2. Political Analysis & Rural Polls "Punjab rural polls: Why Akalis are likened to dinosaurs in Punjab" (Dec 19, 2025): Analyzing CM Bhagwant Mann's rhetoric against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) following local body elections. "AAP claims win in 78% Punjab zila parishads as counting continues" (Dec 18, 2025): Breaking down the results of the 2025 rural elections. "Rahul Gandhi and Sidhu alike, says Bhagwant Mann" (Dec 13, 2025): Covering the CM's critique of the Congress leadership. 3. Law Enforcement & Bureaucracy "Suspended Punjab IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal awaits reinstatement" (Dec 10, 2025): Investigative reporting on the bureaucratic red tape involving the Election Commission and the state government. "Punjab declines to give parole to Amritpal Singh" (Nov 27, 2025): Detailing the state government's refusal to grant parole to the radical preacher and sitting MP. 4. Welfare & Economy "Punjab government's plan to add more freebies to 'atta-dal' scheme hits funds roadblock" (Dec 4, 2024): An analysis of the fiscal challenges facing the state's flagship food security program. "Mann leads Punjab delegation to Japan and South Korea for investor outreach" (Dec 2, 2025). Signature Beat Kanchan Vasdev is known for her insider access to Punjab's political executive. Her writing provides deep insights into how state policies are formulated and the friction points between the state government and central authorities. Her dual expertise in environment and law allows her to report on complex issues like the "Farmhouse Policy" (Dec 18, 2025) and river pollution with a unique policy-oriented lens. X (Twitter): @kanchan99 ... Read More

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