On Wednesday, the Supreme Court urged the Central government to proactively engage with the farmers, who are once again preparing to march to Delhi to advocate for their demands.

The Bench, consisting of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta, and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to seek guidance on forming an independent committee. This committee should include distinguished individuals capable of engaging with farmers and other stakeholders to explore viable solutions to their demands.

"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. They will think you are only talking about self interests and ignoring local issues. Why don't you send a neutral umpire?," the Court said.

The Court also noted that the States of Punjab and Haryana may propose names for potential members of the Committee.

"We have impressed upon them to have instructions re: constitution of some independent committee comprising such eminent persons who can reach out to farmers and other stakeholders in order to find out viable solution to their demands that can be fair, just and in the interests of one and all," the Court said in the order.

The Court was considering the Haryana government's petition contesting the Punjab and Haryana High Court's recent order to reopen the Shambhu border, which links Punjab and Haryana. The border had been closed by the Haryana government to block protesters from traveling to Delhi. The Supreme Court also commented that the State cannot maintain a highway blockade indefinitely.

“Certainly, farmers cannot protest using JCBs,” remarked Justice Bhuyan.

Solicitor General Mehta argued that even a welfare state must handle sensitive issues carefully, noting that JCBs are being turned into makeshift war machines. “I make this statement with a sense of responsibility. We have photographs of these armoured vehicles,” he added.

At this point, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh argued that while Haryana has the authority to regulate movement, the highway blockade is causing significant economic damage to Punjab. “They are entitled to regulate, but the blockade is having serious repercussions for Punjab’s economy,” Singh stated.

The Court emphasized that it seeks to avoid conflict between Punjab and Haryana. “We are proposing a committee to engage with farmers, with the consensus of both the State and Union, to understand their perspectives and clarify where they are right or wrong,” the Court remarked.

In its order, the Court instructed both states to discuss and develop a proposal for removing the barricades gradually, to minimize public inconvenience. “Let us avoid escalating the situation. We may issue guidelines if necessary,” Justice Kant said. The Court also directed both states to maintain the status quo at the Shambhu border to prevent any further escalation.