Supreme Court suggests 'neutral umpires' to fix ‘trust deficit’ at Shambhu border

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing a petition filed by the Haryana government against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which directed it to unblock the Shambhu border.  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday proposed the formation of an independent committee consisting of eminent people to reach out to the protesters in order to find a solution to their demands. This comes after observing that there is a deficit of trust between farmers and the government. A three-judge panel led by Justice Surya Kant declared that a “neutral umpire” who fosters trust between farmers and the government is necessary.

The bench, which also comprises of justices Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan said, “You have to take some steps to reach out to farmers. Why would they otherwise want to come to Delhi? You are sending Ministers from here and despite their best intentions there is trust deficit.” The court also stated, "Until then, let parties maintain the status quo at the site to prevent escalation of the situation at the Shambhu border."

The bench further requested that the governments of Punjab and Haryana provide the names of potential committee members, failing which it will identify appropriate individuals. Attorney General Tushar Mehta, representing the Haryana government, objected to the border opening during the hearing, claiming it would lead to issues with law and order. He said that armoured tanks are now stationed at the border with Shambhu.

“As a welfare State we cannot afford any untoward incident… they are prohibited on a national highway. JCB, tanks, trollies are converted into virtual war tanks. Please see the photos. I am saying this with a sense of responsibility,” the Solicitor General said.

The apex court was hearing the Haryana government’s plea challenging the high court order asking it to remove within a week the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala where farmers have been camping since February 13. The farmers are planning to march towards Shambhu border to protest for their demands, including a legal guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for certain crops.