SC Urges Farmer Leaders to Avoid Causing Public Inconvenience During Protests

The Supreme Court on Monday asked farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border, to appeal to protesting farmers not to block highways and inconvenience the public.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan made this appeal while disposing of a habeas corpus petition relating to Dallewal's alleged removal from the protest site.

Farmers' protests at Khanauri border

Farmers have been camping at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, asking the government to redress their grievances.
The key demands are:

Legal guarantee over MSP
Implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations
Pension schemes for farmers and agricultural labourers
Farm debt waiver
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
Compensation for the families of farmers who died during the 2020-21 agitation.

SC on peaceful protests

The court said it recognized the right of farmers to peaceful protests but that this should not cause a hindrance to public life.

"The Khanauri border is a lifeline for Punjab. While peaceful protests are fundamental in a democratic setup, they should not cause inconvenience to people," Justice Surya Kant said.
The bench also observed that Dallewal had earlier convinced another protestor to withdraw from a hunger strike and hoped that he could convince others to stage demonstrations within the four walls of the law.

The court observed that the issues of farmers are part of an ongoing litigation and clarified that Dallewal could again approach the court if required.

Detention and release of Dallewal alleged

Dallewal was reportedly taken from the Khanauri border and was admitted to a Ludhiana hospital on November 26. After being discharged on Friday, he resumed his fast-unto-death protest at the border on November 30. The habeas corpus plea, filed after his removal, challenged his alleged illegal detention by the Punjab Police.

Since February 18, the central government hasn't interacted with the protesting farmers. Yet, the protesting individuals have stood their ground over time and claimed that the central government is ignoring the pertinent issues at hand.