‘Unbiased’: SC Panel Requests Farmer Bodies for Talks on 21 Jan

The SC-appointed committee held its first meeting on the issue of the three contentious farm laws on 19 January.

Farmers burn copies of the farm bill. Image for representative purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court-appointed committee held its first meeting on the issue of the three contentious farm laws on Tuesday and invited the protesting farmer bodies to meet with them on Thursday, 21 January. The meeting was held in New Delhi’s Pusa campus.

Anil Ghanwat, a panel member of SC-formed committee, told ANI, “Physical meeting will be held with those organisations who want to meet us in person. Video conferencing will be held with those who can't come to us.”

He said that the biggest challenge for the committee is to convince farmer organisations to participate in committee talks, and stressed that the committee will be non-partisan whilst deliberating over the issue.

“Those kisan sanghathans who say they don't want to speak to us, we request them that we are not with any political party or government, they should come and speak to us. We are requesting them,” India Today quoted a member as saying.

Pramod Kumar Joshi, another panel member, spoke of the objective of the committee, saying that it has been formed to hear the grievances of the farmers. “We have been instructed by the Supreme Court to listen to all farmer associations, farm produce traders, dairy industry and see what they have to say on the farm laws. Whether they want a change or repeal or don't want that [the laws],” he added.

"Our work is limited to listening to all stakeholders and file a report," India Today quoted him further.

Denying the alleged bias of the committee, he said that all members are Supreme Court appointees and thus, “Our jobs and our duties are to hear them all."

(With inputs from ANI and India Today)