Delhi HC women lawyers' group to observe fast in solidarity with farmers

Farmers shout slogans during a protest against the central government`s recent agricultural reforms, at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state border, in Ghazipur. Pic/AFP

The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers' Forum (DHCWLF) on Wednesday decided to observe a fast in solidarity with the farmers who are protesting against the three new farm laws, at various borders of the national capital.

"We lawyers have decided to fast in solidarity with the ongoing farmers 'Satyagrah' on December 23, which is also celebrated as 'Kisan Diwas', demanding a repeal of the hastily enacted farm laws," said the DHCWLF, a group of lawyers comprising senior advocates Indira Jaising, Mahalakshmi Pavani, Biswajit Bhattacharya, Mohan Katarki and Anand Grover.

The core members of the group include advocates Shweta Kapoor, Zeba Khair, Iram Majid, Miriam Fozia Rahman, Kriti Kakkar, Swaty Singh Malik, Geetika Panwar, Ekta Kapil and Nandita Rao.

In a statement, the lawyers' group said, "It is our belief that while the issue of the constitutionality of the farm laws enacted by the Centre when agriculture is a state subject is subjudice before the Supreme Court, and the issue of the legality of the enactment by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha is also being heard by the Supreme Court, implementation of irreversible and far reaching farm laws would render these petitions infructuous and could cause irreparable damage to the farm sector in India."

"We also believe that dismantling the regulatory mechanism of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and permitting big corporates to negotiate with small farmers, who lack the means to enforce or negotiate contracts, especially due to the absence of effective legal aid and judicial infrastructure in rural India as well as the prohibitive distance of High Court and the Supreme Court, these laws would usher in a new era of feudalism, where farmers will be reduced to corporate serfs on their own lands," it added.

The lawyers' group also said the decisions of corporates driven by profit would also affect the food security of India and cropping patterns would be determined not by local needs but by international market forces.

"While the Indian and the global economy, especially urban employment is badly hit by Covid-19, 80 per cent of the country is dependent for its sustenance on agriculture, imposing such far reaching legislations upon a vulnerable citizenry in such an unconstitutional manner is a matter of grave concern," the statement added.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The farm laws allow farmers to sell their produce at places apart from their designated Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets.

They also aim at allowing contract farming under which they could enter into supply agreements with private firms for remunerative and pre-decided prices.

However, the farmers believe the new farm laws would pave the way for dismantling of the MSP system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

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