Indian Supreme Court halts implementation of farm laws |
The Supreme Court of India on 12th January stayed the implementation of the three controversial farm laws, which means the Central government cannot, for the time being, proceed with any executive actions to enforce the laws. The three laws are: The Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act. The court formed a four-member committee of experts “to listen to the grievances of the farmers on the farm laws and the views of the government and make recommendations”. At one point in the 11-page order, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde said the formation of an expert committee “may create a congenial atmosphere and improve the trust and confidence of the farmers”. In a concluding paragraph of the order, the court said the farmers` bodies would “perceive” the “extraordinary” stay as an achievement of their peaceful protest “at least for the present”. It may convince these organizations to “encourage” their members to go home, and thus, protect their lives and health and that of others too. The court said several rounds of negotiations between the Union government and the farmers had produced no results, even as senior citizens, women, and children among the protesters were exposed to serious health hazards posed by the cold and COVID-19. The court scheduled the next hearing after eight weeks.
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