"Tractor March By Farmers May Lead To Violence": Former Supreme Court Judge Writes to The Prime Minister
Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Markandey Katju in this letter to the Prime Minister of India, has expressed his objective opinion regarding the ongoing farmer's agitation.
Justice Katju has stated that in the current situation between the authorities and the farmers, farmers have refused to participate in the 4 member committee constituted by the Supreme Court and have contended that the agitation won’t be called off if the three farm laws are not repealed.
He has stated that farmers who are camped at the borders of Delhi are planning to join the Republic Day parade with their tractors, which will consequently result in violence in the form of police and paramilitary lathi charge and firings.
Justice Katju goes on to compare this situation with the Jallianwala Bagh Masacre in Punjab in 1919, massacre on Bloody Sunday in St Petersburg in Russia in January 1905, and the Vendemiarie in Paris in October 1795.
Justice Katju has suggested that an ordinance be passed, which would immediately repeal the farm laws by saying that it was a mistake on the part of government. He contended this by saying that far from losing face, you will be applauded. If you do it your popularity, far from going down, will soar.
Apart from this Justice Katju also suggested that the government should appoint a High Powered Farmers Commission having as its members’ representatives of the leading farmers’ organisations, government representatives, and agricultural experts, tasked with the duty of considering all aspects of the problems of our farmers. He expressed the problem of the farmers that they are not getting adequate remuneration for their produce due to which 3 or 4 lacs farmers have already committed suicides.
In the letter Justice Katju highlighted that farmer constitute 60-65% of the population who are the stakeholders of these bills and should have been consulted while constituting these laws, however, they were hurriedly implemented by the parliament. He also said that farmers constitute a huge vote bank which is going to adversely affect the party’s future electoral prospects.
In the end he concluded by highlighting the fact that if the violence is erupted in Delhi, it is going to spread to the other states and even police and military people would also be affected by this because they are also mostly either farmers or sons of farmers.
Justice Katju requested Prime Minister to take his suggestions seriously and carefully as the time is running out.