The Indian Supreme Court Thursday offered to set up a committee to mediate the impasse between the central government and farmers protesting against the new agricultural reform laws that were passed earlier this year in September. The court made the suggestion while hearing a batch of public interest litigation petitions (PILs) from citizens seeking an order for removing the farmers who have been protesting for three weeks by blocking numerous highways outside New Delhi, the country’s capital.

The court has sent notices to representatives of the government and farmers’ unions across the country inviting their views on the proposal, although a decision is still pending. It has suggested mediation after five rounds of failed talks and observed that if the controversy is not resolved soon, it could turn into a national-level dispute.

The farm laws have been touted as bringing long-needed reforms in the Indian agricultural sector, but the farmers say that it will actually result in cartelization and commercialisation of Indian agriculture. They also worry that the government will stop procuring food grains at minimum support price (MSP) and corporate capitalism will drive the prices lower causing their savings to shrink during the pandemic. They have thus rejected the government’s offer to amend certain controversial provisions and demand a complete repeal of the laws.

MSP is a welfare measure by the central government promising to purchase farmers’ stock at a guaranteed minimum price. It serves to prevent distress sales and insure farmers against serious fluctuations in market price. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that MSP policy will continue and his government continues to maintain that the laws will benefit the farmers and increase private investment in the sector.

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the central government in three other writ petitions filed by various farmers’ unions challenging the constitutionality of laws and the Attorney General KK Venugopal has been directed to file a reply within six weeks. The court has also advised the government to consider delaying the implementation of the farm laws until dialogue with the protesting farmers is restored.

With regard to the current batch of PILs, the court reaffirmed the farmers’ right to protest peacefully as a fundamental right under the Constitution of India and declined to pass any order for removal of protestors.