New Delhi: Farmer leaders on January 12 welcomed the Supreme Court’s order to stay the implementation of three farm laws, but said they will not call off their protest until the laws are repealed.

In a statement, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an umbrella body of around 40 protesting farmer unions, also said that they would not participate in any court-ordered committee process.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the three farm laws until further notice and decided to set up a committee comprising experts to hear the parties and understand the ground situation.

The committee will comprise Bhupinder Singh Mann of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Anil Ghanwat of Shetkari Sanghatana, agricultural economists Ashok Gulati and Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi.

The ruling came on a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the three farm laws that were enacted last September.

The farmers’ body also expressed apprehensions over the members chosen for the committee. “These are people who are known for their support to the three Acts and have actively advocated for the same,” the body said.

“The farmers’ struggle on their key demands will continue as per the earlier announcement on January 13, 18, and 23. Farmers wish to interact with the government, not engage with Supreme Court, where farmers did not present ourselves. So no comment on it, no offence to it,” AIKSCC said.

Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, on being asked about his reaction on the apex court’s order said in Hindi, “Won’t return home until the bill is taken back.”

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

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana and Punjab, have been protesting at several border points of Delhi since November 26, 2020, demanding a repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

Some political parties have welcomed the Supreme Court intervention.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) termed the stay as a positive step in the right direction to get justice for farmers.

“We welcome this decision. Finally, the Supreme Court has intervened and taken a bold stand. The NCP stood by the agitating farmers in Delhi from day one,” Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said.

NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik also lauded the step. In a tweet, he wrote, “Hon’ble Supreme Court’s stay on implementation of farm laws is a welcome and positive step in the right direction to get Justice for our farmers. Central Government must now stop their rigid ways of functioning, accept their mistake and rectify it.”

The BJP said the decision by the Supreme Court is not against the merit of the new laws and that they themselves had suggested the formation of a committee for discussions.

Source: The Indian Express, telegraphindia.com