Narendra Modi announced his decision on Friday 19th November

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Modi’s placatory words on Friday cannot erase the events of the past year in the minds of the farmers. The government has finally done the right thing — but there has been a great deal of damage along the way.

It started with serious government mismanagement: the farm laws were announced suddenly, and rushed through Parliament. There was no time for debate or discussion. As a result, those in power had no idea of how strongly the farmers felt about the issue, and were unprepared for the level of opposition they faced.

Farmers from around the country came out in protest, but the majority were from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh – both states that will hold key elections early next year. Modi’s decision to revoke the laws seems well-timed to boost votes for the BJP in these two states, but it is unlikely that the anti-government feelings in farming communities will simply disappear.

The Sikh community in particular, who formed the backbone of the protests, has become increasingly alienated from the government – not least because of the way the government itself has treated them over the past year. It went beyond mere name-calling: Modi’s supporters accused the farmers of being part of a Sikh separatist movement, and inundated social media with brutal attacks on “Khalistanis”.

It's a tactic more suited to the playground than Parliament, but it can have serious repercussions. Defenders of human rights are labelled “Marxist terrorists” and locked up; Muslims are called “Jihadis” and told to get out and move to Pakistan. When someone challenges the government, they should be heard. Democracy encourages debate. Yet this kind of name-calling shuts down conversation and divides society.

Modi timed his announcement for Guru Purab, the day the Sikh community celebrates the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak. The timing was an offering of reconciliation to a group that now feels even more alienated from the BJP government, but their trust cannot be won back so easily; the protestors are still refusing to go home until Modi’s decision becomes official.

"We have no faith in a verbal promise. Unless we see it in writing that the laws have actually been repealed, we will stay here," said Raj Singh Chaudhary, a 99-year-old protester.

Reason for hope: Sikh farmers celebrate their victory

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This victory did not come without a cost. A number of farmers were killed during the rare outbreaks of violence during the demonstrations. In addition, hundreds more died as a result of the harsh conditions of the long protest, as a result of exposure, Covid-19, and suicide. At least 750 people, and probably more, are known to have lost their lives.

In the wake of the PM’s announcement last Friday, politicians have stepped in to voice their support for the farmers. Telangana’s Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, for example, has pledged ₹3 lakh to the families of all those who died during the struggle.

Yet despite the losses, there is real cause to celebrate. There is no question of the significance of this moment. The victory of the farmers is a sign of hope for India: it proves that when enough people stand up to an increasingly authoritarian government, they have the power to make the Prime Minister listen.

It’s rare to see Narendra Modi back down. Despite the international outcry when the Indian government annexed Kashmir in 2019 and imposed the longest communications blackout in recent history, he refused to change course. Mass protests in India against the Citizenship Amendment Act were harshly repressed. Widespread condemnation of government control of the media and arrests of journalists have changed nothing.

Yet here, finally, is proof that change is possible.