On Friday, the Supreme Court asked the states of Haryana and Punjab to propose names of neutral individuals for a committee to negotiate with protesting farmers at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where they have been camping since February 13.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and R. Mahadevan emphasized the importance of inspiring confidence in the farmers, suggesting that both states agree on common names for the committee.
“We want a very smooth beginning in terms of dialogue. There are very good, seasoned, practical personalities in the country who have experience and understand the problem. Please consider some neutral personalities to inspire more confidence in the farmers,” the bench stated.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for August 12 and has asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh to suggest common names for the committee. The Court also maintained its previous order to keep the status quo at the border.
The Supreme Court was addressing an appeal against the July 10 order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which directed the opening of the highway and clearing of barricades within seven days. During the last hearing, the top court proposed forming an independent committee and asked both states to suggest common names, noting that the national highway has been blocked for over a year.
In February, the Haryana government set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in response to farmers’ bodies announcing a march to Delhi to support various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
