Fri Feb 28 08:00:57 UTC 2025: **Supreme Court Facilitates Talks Between Indian Government and Punjab Farmers**
NEW DELHI – Following months of protests and a hunger strike by farmers’ leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Supreme Court of India has facilitated ongoing negotiations between the Union Government and protesting Punjab farmers. The talks, focused on securing a guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and other agricultural reforms, have already resulted in two meetings, with a third scheduled for March 19th.
The meetings are being overseen by a Supreme Court-appointed committee headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Nawab Singh. The Court’s intervention, spurred by Dallewal’s hunger strike, has been instrumental in opening dialogue. Over 110 farmers joined Dallewal in his protest at the Kanauri border before he accepted medical aid in January after nearly two months.
The farmers are seeking not only a higher MSP but also a legal guarantee to protect their income and stabilize the agricultural market. They have been camped at the Shambhu and Kanauri borders since their march to Delhi was halted in February 2024. The Supreme Court has praised the committee’s efforts and ordered the Punjab government to compensate them for their work. The Court will retain confidential reports submitted by the committee for the time being.
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