Shambhu border of Haryana-Punjab will not open yet. The matter was heard in the Supreme Court on Monday. The Supreme Court said, we are constituting a high-powered committee, but are not taking a decision on any issue. This power is being given to the committee. Officials from Punjab and Haryana are also included in this committee. The High Power Committee should reach out to the agitating farmers and request them to remove their tractors. The Supreme Court has also advised that the matter should not be politicized. The issues are very sensitive, so a balanced approach should be taken. In the last two hearings, the Supreme Court had asked the Shambhu border to be opened partially i.e. one lane. A farmers' meeting was also held with officials of Punjab and Haryana in this matter, but it remained inconclusive. Haryana Police said that farmers should go to Delhi, but should not take tractors. Farmers persisted in going with tractors. Courtroom Arguments… AAG Punjab: We have given the issue on which the farmers want a decision. Justice Kant: Please don't politicize these issues, we don't need to say anything more than that today. Justice Kant: We are constituting the committee, we are not framing the issues. We are asking the committee to do so. Justice Kant, while reading the order, said that the committee would consider ways to resolve the farmers' issues. Justice Kant: We may say at the outset that the names suggested by the State of Punjab and Haryana are persons of high integrity, experienced in agriculture. We may hasten to say that there is a large population of the peasantry which requires attention. Justice Kant: We think it would be more appropriate to request the High Court Committee to frame the issues. The bench said that the Member Secretary can give the formulation of the issues to the High Power Committee. Justice Kant: We hope and believe that the aspiration of the farmers to provide a neutral committee to look into the issues will be fulfilled. Justice Kant: Farmers will be free to shift their peaceful agitation to such allotted spaces. Justice Kant: Those who are aware of the ground reality of both the states, we have tried to create a balanced structure, the farmers' issues are genuine, they should be disposed of by a neutral body, no one else should be allowed. Democratic system. The bench directed the member secretary of the High Court Committee to place the advance status report on record at the next hearing. AG Punjab: My Lords have very well noted that this should not be politicized. Justice Kant: The issues are highly sensitive, so a balanced approach should be adopted. 2 meetings to open Shambhu border fail A meeting of police officials from Punjab and Haryana on August 25 to pacify the farmers on strike at the Shambhu border failed. After the Supreme Court order, the police officials held a meeting with the farmers for the second time in 5 days, but the farmers were not ready to agree. The farmers remained adamant that they would not leave their tractor-trolleys and go to Delhi in these vehicles. No consensus could be reached in this meeting which lasted for an hour. In the police line, ADGP (Intelligence) Jaskaran Singh and AIG Sandeep Garg besides DC and SSP of Patiala and SP and SDM of Ambala district of Haryana reached the farmers. Court orders partial opening of border On August 12, during a hearing, the Supreme Court ordered partial opening of the Shambhu border. The court made a strong comment and said that Co-Highway is not a parking space. Within a week one lane of the highway should be opened for ambulances, senior citizens, women, students etc. Struggle on since February Farmers of Punjab are on agitation over minimum support price (MSP) of crops from February-2024. In such a situation, keeping security in mind, the Haryana government barricaded the Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana and Punjab. After this, the code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections has been implemented. Farmers formed a permanent front on the border towards Punjab. In such a situation, traffic is stopped from there. Due to which traders of Ambala are facing difficulties. For this reason he took refuge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The High Court ordered the Haryana government to open the border, but the government approached the Supreme Court in this matter.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
Shambhu border to remain closed: SC forms committee, will talk to farmers to remove tractors; Said- Issues should not be politicized
