The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the centre on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the three contentious farm laws which is being opposed tooth and nail mainly by thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, women farmers are learning to drive tractors to take part in the proposed rally in the national capital on Republic Day.
Here are the top developments of the day:
1. The Supreme Court sought response of the centre on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of newly enacted three farm laws on grounds including that Parliament lacked power to make legislations on the subject. The plea also raised questions over the validity of 'the Constitution (3rd Amendment Act) of 1954' which allegedly empowered the centre to frame the controversial laws on agriculture. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, while issuing notice to the ministry of law and justice on the PIL of lawyer ML Sharma, said it would hear on January 11 all the pleas challenging the new farm laws as also the ones raising issues related to the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi borders. In a hearing conducted through video conferencing, the bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, took note of the petition which also contended that the subject 'agriculture' has wrongly been put in the concurrent list in the Constitution by Parliament in 1954. The top court has already decided to hear pleas of RJD lawmaker from Rajya Sabha, Manoj Jha and DMK Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, Tiruchi Siva, and one by Rakesh Vaishnav of Chhattisgarh Kisan Congress against the three laws -- Farmers'' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
2. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said a large number of farmers from across the country are coming out in support of three farm laws and urged protesting unions to understand the sentiments behind reforms brought through these legislations. He also expressed confidence that the protesting unions will focus on farmers' interests and help the government reach a solution through constructive dialogue. Speaking to mediapersons after meeting a group supporting the laws, Tomar said the government is committed towards all farmers of the country and their interests. "Therefore, we are meeting those farmers who are coming out in support of the three laws, in addition to a continuing dialogue with those opposing the Acts," the minister said.
3. Union finance minister Piyush Goyal said he looks positively at the ongoing discussions with farmer unions as an opportunity to explain to them the benefits from the new laws against which they are protesting. Goyal along with agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and minister of state for commerce Som Parkash is holding talks with around 41 unions to break the deadlock over farmers' protest against the three new farm laws. Addressing the 74th foundation day of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Goyal said, "There are always different points of view to look at things. No good work is easy and difficulties always come. Problems arise in everything, but it all depends on how we see things and how we deal with them. It is all about the point of view… For example, when I go along with agriculture minister Tomar for discussions with farmer unions, should I see that as a problem for myself or as an opportunity that I am getting… I see that as an opportunity at those discussions to explain to farmers that the new laws are in their interest and in the interest of the country. I tell them that the entire country will benefit if farmers' income increases and their lives, as well as the lives of their children, will get better. That is my point of view to look at things."
4. The All India Farmers Association (AIFA) headed by former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's grandson Sanjay Nath Singh extended support to the three new agriculture laws. Singh, in a representation made to Tomar, made some suggestions to the centre that would be of help in negotiating with the protesting farm unions in the next round of meeting to be held on January 8. The AIFA recommended setting up of an independent regulatory body to monitor farm contracts, a price regulatory authority to monitor purchase and sale price of farm produce, enforcement of a template of contract agreement among others, he said. "With these suggestions, we request you Sir (Tomar) to negotiate with farmer leaders to reach an early resolution. We are hopeful of you achieving success and request that the new farm laws are not rolled back," he said. He further said "it appears that the vested interest and political opportunists are continuing to mislead them".
5. Senior Congress leaders took out a tractor rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore, which is state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's home district, to protest against the centre's new farm laws. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, former Union minister Arun Yadav, former minister Sajjan Singh Verma and several party MLAs took part in the tractor rally organised at Nasrullaganj, which is part of Chouhan's assembly seat Budhni in Sehore district. The leaders reached Nasrullaganj along with Congress workers in tractors and demanded that the centre withdraw the new farm laws immediately. Yadav said the new central agriculture laws were not in the interest of the farmers. "These laws would prove detrimental to the farmers. They should be immediately withdrawn or else the Congress will continue the agitation," he said.
6. Several rural women in Haryana's Jind district are receiving training to drive tractors for taking part in a ‘tractor parade' in the national capital on January 26 against the three new farm laws. The farmers protesting against the legislation had announced on January 2 that if their demands remained unmet they would take out a 'tractor parade' towards Delhi on January 26, when the country would be celebrating its Republic Day. Women hailing from three villages - Safa Kheri, Khatkar, Pallwan - in Jind are learning to steer the tractor wheel. "Around 200 women are being imparted training to drive tractors," Sikim Nain Sheokant, the president of Jind-based Kisan Ekta Mahila Manch said. She said though some of the women can drive tractors in the fields for farm operations, they do not have experience of road driving. "We want women to drive tractors on highway on January 26 without any help," she said. Women are undergoing training at a toll plaza on Jind-Patiala National Highway for handling tractor-trolleys on road. The protesting farmers have declared toll plazas "free".
7. Camping at protest venues near Delhi borders for around 40 days, braving the severe cold and sporadic rains, farmers have asserted that their stir against the farm laws will intensify in the coming days, even as they deferred Wednesday's proposed tractor march over a bad weather forecast. The deadlock continues as the seventh round of talks with the centre remained inconclusive, with the farmer groups sticking to their demand for the repeal of the three new laws, and the government listing out various benefits of the new Acts. The national capital, meanwhile, reels under a spell of harsh winter. The city woke up on Wednesday to the rumble of thunder and the sound of hailstones hitting rooftops and windows as it received rainfall for the fourth consecutive day.
8. Since the farmers arrived at the national capital's borders, the Delhi Traffic Police has been posting alerts on its official Twitter handle to inform commuters about road closures across the city. In a series of tweets on Wednesday, it said Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli and Mangesh borders were closed for traffic movement. "Please take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla and Singhu school toll tax borders. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road & NH-44. The Chilla and Ghazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Ghaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra & Loni Borders," the traffic police said. It said Tikri and Dhansa borders are also closed for traffic movement. "Jhatikara Border is open only for LMV (Cars/Light Motor Vehicles), two wheelers and pedestrian movement," another tweet read. According to the traffic police, people travelling to Haryana can take the routes via Jharoda (only single carriageway), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders.