Don’t disrupt public life, SC tells farmers

Hundreds of farmers from about 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh marched towards the national capital on Monday, leading to massive traffic snarls on the Delhi-Noida border and causing inconvenience to commuters.

Editorial: Stuck in traffic

In another development, the Supreme Court cautioned farmers against disrupting public life and asked Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point, to persuade the protesters not to obstruct highways.

Acknowledging the right of farmers to peaceful protests, a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant said, “In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people. You all know that the Khanauri border is a lifeline for Punjab. We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong.”

The Bench told advocate Guninder Kaur Gill, who represented Dallewal, that Dallewal had previously persuaded a fellow protester to end hunger strike and expressed hope he could encourage others to organise demonstrations within the bounds of the law. It disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Dallewal, who was removed from the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border on November 26, in view of the fact that he had been released.

Since February 13, farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana. Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, they are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 agitation.

Meanwhile, farmers from various part of UP, including Gautam Buddh Nagar, Agra, Aligarh and Bulandshahr, gathered at the Mahamaya flyover on the Dadri-Noida link road and began a march towards Delhi at 11.30 am.

Carrying banners and flags of various farmer groups, the protesters crossed the initial barricades erected by the Noida police. While some climbed over the barricades, others pushed them aside. Following talks with the authorities, the farmers ended their march near Dalit Prerna Sthal on Noida Link Road, around 1 km from the Chilla border, an entry point to Delhi, but started a sit-in. However, they warned of resuming their march if their demands were not met within a week.

While the protest call was given by the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad, it was supported by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. The demands of farmers include hike in compensation for land acquired under the old acquisition law, allotment of plots for displaced farmers and rehabilitation benefits for the children of landless labourers.

A UP Police official said three-layered security arrangements had been in place to stop the march from entering Delhi. Over 4,000 police personnel were deployed in the area while some farmer leaders were detained as a preventive measure, the official said. Despite the tight security, tensions flared as the protesters breached barricades and blocked highways. The protesters also sat on roads and raised slogans.

Take up farmers’ issues with Centre, VP urged

• SKM (Non-political) convener Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Monday urged Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar to ask the Centre to accept farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan report and farm loan waiver
• The appeal was made by Dallewal from the Khanauri protest site where his indefinite fast entered the seventh day on Monday