The Supreme Court on Wednesday stated that its doors were “always open” to the demands and suggestions of protesting farmers after they refused to engage with a committee formed by the Punjab government.
The farmers, led by Jagjit Singh Dallewal, have been protesting for months, with Dallewal on an indefinite hunger strike.
The Punjab government informed the court that despite several detailed meetings with Dallewal, the farmers had rejected engagement with the state’s high-powered committee. The committee had invited the farmers for discussions on December 17, but they did not respond to the invitation, as reported by Punjab’s advocate general, Gurminder Singh.
Singh recommended that since efforts to persuade the farmers to join the committee were unsuccessful, the farmers should be allowed to present their grievances directly to the court. In response, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan clarified, “We clarify that the court’s doors are always open to any suggestion or demand by farmers directly or through their authorised representative.”
The Supreme Court also expressed concern over Dallewal’s health and instructed the Punjab government to ensure he receives medical aid without delay. Dallewal, a 70-year-old cancer patient, had previously refused medical assistance, but a team of specialists from Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala has been deployed to monitor his condition round-the-clock.
Dallewal has been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, 2024, demanding that the central government provide a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops. His fast has now entered its 23rd day, further intensifying the protest.
In addition to Dallewal’s hunger strike, farmers have planned a ‘rail roko’ march in 52 locations across Punjab, which is expected to disrupt train services for three hours, signaling the growing frustration among the protesting farmers.
As the situation escalates, the Supreme Court’s openness to hearing the farmers’ demands may become a crucial avenue for resolving the ongoing dispute.
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