Challenging Police Crackdown of Farmers stepping out for farming activity
Swami Agnivesh and Anr vs Union of India and Ors | Supreme Court of India | Status: Disposed Off | Case filed on 21, Apr 2020 |
Swami Agnivesh versus Union of India was a petition filed by three agricultural workers unions raising a grievance that though the Government had lifted the lockdown for agricultural operations, the police forces throughout India were beating farmers and workers when they ventured out of their homes to go to their farms. Resultantly harvesting could not be done, State purchases were stalled as a result of which vegetables and fruits were rotting in the fields and milk had to be poured into the canals. This would have dire consequences for food security in the coming months. In a cryptic but important order , the Supreme Court directed the full implementation of the Government notification directing the lifting of the lockdown, the transportation of farm produce to the markets and the completion of harvesting operations. This had a ripple effect in the country and harvesting and agricultural operations slowly picked up.