Kathmandu, January 13: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday suspended three controversial agricultural laws:

• The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act
• The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act. 

Disappointed with the lack of consultation with farmers when passing the laws, the court also ordered the formation of a four Agri experts panel to listen to the farmers and make recommendations. 

Farmers believe that the controversial law adopted by the government would lead to the scrapping of the minimum support price (MSP) – the price at which the government buys farm produce –and the farmers would be left at the mercy of corporate dealers. The farmers and their produce account for 15% of the country’s economy.

Agitated by the new laws passed, more than half a million farmers have already participated in the mass protests since November. So far, eight rounds of talks have been held between the farmers and government officials with no resolution in place. Two of the farmers have committed suicide hoping that their death would bring success to the farmer’s movement. More than 60 farmers have already died due to hypothermia during the street protest.

Chief Justice SA Bobde told the court “We are trying to solve the problem in the best way. One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation.”

Modi and his allies have defended the controversial laws and accused opposition parties of misleading the farmers. His government says the new laws will bring much-needed private investment to the crisis-hit agricultural sector.

Leaders of Farmers Unions have claimed that they would not abandon their protest until the new laws are completely discarded. The farmers have scheduled a massive tractor rally through Delhi on the National Republic Day.

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