Chandigarh: As farmers march towards Delhi to press for their various demands, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday called for an amicable solution to the issue asking governments to identify protest sites for the farmers until a consensus is reached between the Centre and the protesting farmers.
The next hearing in the case will be held on Feb 15. Hearing separate pleas-one in favour of the farmers and the other against it, a bench of acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji observed, There has to be balance in fundamental right to speech and expression, none of the rights are in isolation. The cautionary should be kept in mind and the issue should be resolved amicably...All parties in the present dispute should make efforts to sit down and solve the problem and the area should be identified by states to protest”.
The first plea by one Uday Pratap Singh, a resident of Panchkula district of Haryana challenged Internet suspension and sealing of borders in Haryana to prevent the farmers' march towards the national capital. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the states of Punjab, Haryana, and UT are the respondents in the plea.
In his plea in the High Court, the petitioner said that road barricades including the rows of nails, reinforced concrete walls, electrification, and barbed wires “undermines the foundations of a democratic society governed by the rule of law”. He further said that the suspension of Internet and SMS in several districts had further exacerbated the situation, depriving citizens of their right to information and communication.
“The road blockade not only inconvenience residents but also hampers the movement of ambulances, school buses, pedestrians and other vehicles. This obstruction has resulted in increased traffic on alternative routes, causing delays and difficulties for commuters, including professionals like advocates, doctors and emergency services who are unable to reach their workplaces and attend to patients promptly,” reads the petition.
The second plea was against the farmers saying that the protesting farmers had unauthorizedly blocked the national highways. Central Government's Additional Solicitor General Satyapal Jain said that the Government of India is always ready for talks with the farmers and this can be resolved through talks. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are marching towards the national capital to press for their various demands a day after the second round of talks between the Centre and the farm leaders failed to reach a consensus.
