In September 2020 Parliament passed three laws to open up farm trade, allow contract farming and loosen stock limits. Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, marched on Delhi on 26-27 November 2020. They were met with water cannon and tear gas, and then camped at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for about 380 days. Parliament repealed the laws on 29 November 2021, and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) ended the sit-ins on 9 December 2021.
The three laws
On 5 June 2020 the President promulgated three agriculture ordinances PRS Legislative Research. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce Act allowed trade outside state-regulated APMC markets and barred states from levying market fees there. The Farmers Agreement Act set up a framework for contract farming, with disputes going to a conciliation board, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and an appellate authority. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act allowed stock limits on farm produce only in extraordinary situations or a steep price rise PRS.
On 20 September 2020 the Rajya Sabha passed the two main bills by voice vote after Deputy Chairman Harivansh refused opposition demands for a division. Akali Dal minister Harsimrat Kaur had resigned from the Cabinet, and her party then quit the NDA. The President signed on 24 September despite a request from 18 opposition parties, and the laws were notified on 27 September Deccan Herald.
The government's case for the laws
Government's position The government said the laws would give farmers more options in selling their produce, lead to better prices and free them from unfair monopolies Scroll. BJP leaders including Modi said they would boost private investment in agriculture and raise farm incomes Al Jazeera. The aim, PRS noted, was more buyers and more competition. It cited a 2018-19 parliamentary committee that found APMC markets had few traders, cartelisation and heavy commission charges PRS.
In the Rajya Sabha on 8 February 2021, Modi asked why small farmers should not have the same freedom as the dairy sector to sell to private or cooperative buyers. He promised: "MSP was there, MSP is there. MSP will remain in the future" SabrangIndia. He quoted Manmohan Singh arguing for a common national market, saying he was carrying out reforms Congress had promised Swarajya. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar also pointed to farm reforms in Congress's own manifesto Tribune.
What the farmers objected to
Unions feared the laws would dismantle state-run markets, end the MSP system and expose farmers to corporate exploitation JURIST. Contract disputes would go to bureaucrats, not courts AP via CBC. At the talks they demanded repeal of the three laws, dropping the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, a legal guarantee for MSP, withdrawal of cases, and MSP at the Swaminathan Commission's C2+50% formula Deccan Herald.
Punjab's rail roko
Punjab's farm unions began blocking tracks on 24 September 2020, and from 1 October all train movement in the state was suspended. By early November, the Railways said, more than 2,225 freight rakes and 1,350 passenger trains had been hit and losses had crossed Rs 1,200 crore Maritime Gateway. The unions say they lifted the rail roko on 22 October and kept only private power plants' branch lines blocked; the Railways said agitators were still on tracks and platforms The Wire.
Dilli Chalo: 26-27 November 2020
Delhi Police refused permission for protests in the capital Outlook/PTI, and leaders including Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar were detained on the way Down To Earth. At the Shambhu border on 26 November, Haryana Police used a water cannon and tear gas as farmers pushed at barricades, and farmers threw steel barricades into the Ghaggar river. Water cannon were used again at Karnal, Kaithal and Khanauri, though at most points the farmers were later let through Outlook/PTI.
On 27 November Delhi Police fired tear gas at Singhu Deccan Herald; police said farmers threw stones and broke barricades. Police then allowed a protest at the Nirankari Ground in Burari Tribune. Many marchers stayed at the border points, where the sit-ins began, and said they would not go back until the laws were repealed The Caravan.
The sit-ins and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha
The camps at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur lasted from 26 November 2020 until December 2021 Down To Earth. They were led by the SKM, an umbrella of about 40 unions whose best-known faces included Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Rakesh Tikait Deccan Herald/PTI. Ten central trade unions backed the movement Tribune.
Eleven rounds of talks
The talks began on 14 October 2020, when 29 unions met the agriculture secretary and walked out. A ministerial panel led by Tomar took over on 13 November. On 3 December it offered eight amendments, which were rejected; farmers held up "Yes or No" placards and brought their own food from community kitchens Deccan Herald. After Home Minister Amit Shah met union leaders, a written proposal on 9 December offered a "written assurance" on MSP procurement and amendments on seven issues, but no repeal. The unions called it an "insult" Tribune.
On 20 January 2021 Tomar offered to suspend the laws for up to 18 months. The SKM rejected it the next day; Darshan Pal said repeal and a law for remunerative MSP remained the demands Deccan Herald. The eleventh round on 22 January ended with no date for another; Tomar said the next meeting would wait for the unions' answer on suspension. Rakesh Tikait put the offer at two years Scroll.
The Supreme Court stay and its committee
On 12 January 2021 a bench led by Chief Justice S A Bobde stayed the three laws "until further orders", kept the old MSP system in place and named a committee: Bhupinder Singh Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati and Anil Ghanwat LiveLaw. The SKM had said it would not appear before any court committee. At the hearing the Attorney General claimed Khalistanis were part of the protests Down To Earth. Claim · Attorney General
Mann recused himself. The other three submitted their report on 19 March 2021, but the court did not publish it, and Ghanwat released it himself on 21 March 2022 Tribune. Of the 73 organisations the panel met, it said 61 (85.7%), claiming 3.3 crore farmers, fully supported the laws, and that repeal was unfair to a "silent majority" The Wire. The SKM's Yogendra Yadav called it "fake, plain bogus and trashy". Only 5,451 of its 19,027 online responses came from farmers, he said, and the protesting unions had boycotted it Tribune.
On 21 October 2021 the court said farmers had the right to protest but could not block roads. The farmers replied that the police had blocked them, and on 28 October Delhi Police began removing its own barricades at Tikri and Ghazipur Scroll.
The Bharat Bandhs
For the first Bharat Bandh, on 8 December 2020, the SKM planned to stop toll collection on highways Deccan Herald. A 12-hour bandh on 26 March 2021 marked four months at the borders and hit transport in Punjab and Haryana Scroll. On 27 September 2021 a 10-hour bandh closed Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Bihar, according to the SKM, with a mixed response elsewhere Down To Earth.
Republic Day 2021 and Ghazipur
On 26 January 2021 groups left the agreed tractor-parade routes, clashed with police at ITO and entered the Red Fort. One farmer died at ITO: police said his tractor overturned, while protesters claimed he had been shot. The SKM condemned the violence and disowned those who left the route The Wire. Full account: the Republic Day tractor rally and the Red Fort.
On 28 January the Ghaziabad administration ordered the Ghazipur site cleared by midnight. Rakesh Tikait wept before the cameras: "We will face bullets, but not leave the protest." Groups of farmers from Uttar Pradesh arrived, and the site was not cleared Scroll. In February Modi warned of "andolanjeevis" and a "foreign destructive ideology" Swarajya. Delhi Police said Pakistan had created more than 300 Twitter handles to sow confusion around the rally Deccan Herald. Claim · Delhi Police
Deaths at the protest sites: contested counts
Protesters camped through "rain, scorching heat, and bone-chilling cold" JURIST. There is no official national count:
- SKM: "more than 605" by September 2021, including two deaths it linked to police action and some suicides Down To Earth; a list of 702 names sent to the government on 4 December Deccan Herald/IANS; "around 715", including Lakhimpur Kheri, on 9 December Down To Earth. Claim · SKM
- Punjab government: 220 deaths verified by 20 July 2021, with Rs 10.86 crore paid to families The Quint. In December Rahul Gandhi said Punjab had compensated 403 families Deccan Herald/IANS.
- Union government: on 1 December 2021 Tomar told the Lok Sabha the ministry "has no record in the matter, and hence the question (of aid) does not arise" The Wire.
Lakhimpur Kheri and the Singhu killing
On 3 October 2021 eight people died in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, including four protesting farmers. Farm bodies alleged a vehicle of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra, ran them over; the police chargesheet named him the main accused Scroll. Full account: Lakhimpur Kheri violence, 2021.
On 15 October Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit labourer from Tarn Taran, was found mutilated and tied to a barricade at Singhu. A Nihang group claimed it had punished him for desecrating a holy book. The SKM said neither side had any link with it and demanded punishment under the law The News Minute/PTI.
The repeal
On 19 November 2021, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi announced the repeal on television JURIST. In the AP's translation: "While apologizing to the nation, I want to say with a sincere and pure heart that maybe something was lacking in our efforts that we could not explain the truth to some of our farmer brothers." The AP noted that elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab were due AP via CBC.
On 29 November both Houses passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill within minutes and without debate Scroll. "Both the government and Opposition parties are for the repeal of the laws. So there is no need for any discussion," Tomar said. Mallikarjun Kharge said the government had acted after by-poll setbacks Tribune.
How the sit-ins ended
On 9 December 2021 the agriculture secretary sent the SKM a signed letter: "with this proposal, all the five demands stand addressed" Deccan Herald/PTI. It promised a committee on making MSP more effective with SKM members, continuation of MSP policy, withdrawal of cases by five states and central agencies, in-principle compensation from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, no criminal liability for stubble burning, and consultation before the Electricity Bill. The SKM "suspended" the agitation: "The battle has been won and the war to ensure farmers' rights, especially to secure minimum support price (MSP) as a legal entitlement for all farmers, will continue." The borders were vacated from 11 December Down To Earth.
Timeline
Ordinances
Three farm ordinances promulgated PRS.
Laws passed and notified
Rajya Sabha voice vote; notified 27 September Deccan Herald.
Dilli Chalo
Water cannon and tear gas; sit-ins begin Outlook/PTI.
Supreme Court stay
Laws stayed; committee named LiveLaw.
Talks end
18-month suspension rejected Deccan Herald.
Red Fort and Ghazipur
Rally violence; Ghazipur holds Scroll.
Repeal
Announced and passed Scroll.
Sit-ins end
Borders vacated Down To Earth.
Both accounts
Protesters' account
The laws were passed without consultation or a recorded Rajya Sabha vote, and would erode the mandi and MSP system. The unions say the movement was peaceful, that police, not farmers, sealed the highways, and that the government refused to acknowledge some 700 deaths The Wire.
Police and government account
The laws were needed reforms that kept MSP intact and had the backing of a "silent majority", in the words of the court's committee. The government offered amendments, written MSP assurances and an 18-month suspension. Police said protesters threw stones at Singhu and clashed with police on 26 January 2021, and the Attorney General alleged Khalistani involvement Down To Earth.
Outcome
- Laws: stayed on 12 January 2021; repealed on 29 November 2021.
- Cases: five states and central agencies agreed to withdraw them.
- Compensation: paid by Punjab; agreed in principle by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana; refused by the Centre.
- MSP: no legal guarantee; a committee instead.
What followed
The MSP committee was notified on 18 July 2022 under former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal, with three seats kept for the SKM. The SKM refused to join, saying it was packed with "so-called farmer leaders" who had backed the laws Outlook/PTI. By May 2026 it had held six full and 42 sub-committee meetings, spent about Rs 54 lakh and submitted no report Newslaundry.
The MSP demand drove a second march in February 2024, stopped at Shambhu and Khanauri (Delhi Chalo 2024-25). In November 2024 a draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing proposed private markets and contract farming; farm unions called it a "back door entry" for the repealed laws The Wire. In 2026 the SKM protested again, against trade deals (Farmers and the Bharat Bandh, 2026).
Questions people ask
What were the three farm laws?
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. They allowed trade outside APMC mandis, set rules for contract farming and limited stock controls.
How long did the farmers' protest last?
The sit-ins lasted from 26 November 2020 to 11 December 2021, about 380 days. Protests in Punjab began in September 2020.
How many farmers died during the protest?
There is no official count. The SKM listed 702 names and later cited about 715; Punjab had verified 220 by July 2021. The Union agriculture ministry said it had no record.
Why were the farm laws repealed?
Modi said the government had failed to explain the laws to some farmers. The opposition and many reports linked the timing to the 2022 elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Did farmers get a legal MSP guarantee?
No. A committee on MSP was formed in July 2022 without the SKM and had produced no report by mid-2026.
Sources
- PRS Legislative Research: Legislative brief, Agriculture Ordinances 2020, June 2020
- Deccan Herald: President gives assent to farm bills amid protests, 27 Sept 2020
- Maritime Gateway: Farmers' agitation in Punjab led to Rs 1,200 cr loss, says Railways, Nov 2020
- The Wire: Railways blames farmers for no trains even though agitation has moved, Nov 2020
- Down To Earth: On Constitution Day, police use tear gas, water cannon on farmers, 26 Nov 2020
- Outlook/PTI: Farmers brave water cannons, tear gas, home in on Delhi, 26 Nov 2020
- Deccan Herald: In pics, farmers brave water cannons, tear gas on way to Delhi, 27 Nov 2020
- Tribune: Post clashes, Delhi cops let farmers in, 27 Nov 2020
- The Caravan: They can fire bullets, we won't go back: Punjab farmers at Singhu border, 6 Dec 2020
- Deccan Herald: Protesting farmers call for Bharat Bandh on December 8, Dec 2020
- Tribune: Farmers reject govt proposal, to intensify stir, 9 Dec 2020
- Al Jazeera: Indian farmers reject new proposals, threaten to step up protests, 9 Dec 2020
- Tribune: Trade unions support farmers' agitation, say Bharat Bandh successful, 11 Dec 2020
- LiveLaw: Farm laws stayed, committee formed, MSP to continue, 12 Jan 2021
- Down To Earth: SC stays implementation of farm laws, forms committee, 12 Jan 2021
- Deccan Herald: Farmers reject Centre's proposal to suspend farm laws, 21 Jan 2021
- Scroll: Centre asks farmers to consider its offer of suspension, 22 Jan 2021
- Deccan Herald: 11 rounds and 45 hours of talks, yet deadlock continues, Jan 2021
- The Wire: SKM calls off tractor rally, asks protesters to return to border sites, 26 Jan 2021
- Scroll: Ghazipur protest site swells after Rakesh Tikait's emotional appeal, 29 Jan 2021
- Swarajya: Five things PM Modi said about the farm protests in Rajya Sabha, 8 Feb 2021
- SabrangIndia: Modi warns against 'andolan jivi' community in Rajya Sabha, Feb 2021
- The Quint: 220 deaths during farmers' protests, Punjab govt data, July 2021
- Scroll: Farmer unions observe countrywide shutdown, transport hit in Punjab, Haryana, 26 Mar 2021
- Down To Earth: Farmers mark a year of farm laws with Bharat Bandh, 27 Sept 2021
- The News Minute: Man lynched at Singhu border, Nihang group claims responsibility, 15 Oct 2021
- Scroll: Delhi Police start removing barricades from Tikri, Ghazipur borders, 29 Oct 2021
- JURIST: India government to repeal controversial farm laws, 19 Nov 2021
- AP via CBC: India to repeal controversial farm laws that sparked massive protests, 19 Nov 2021
- Scroll: Parliament passes Bill to repeal farm laws without discussion, 29 Nov 2021
- Tribune: No debate, Parliament passes Bill to repeal farm laws, 29 Nov 2021
- The Wire: No record of farmers dying during protests, so no question of compensation, says Centre, 1 Dec 2021
- Deccan Herald/IANS: SKM sends list of 702 farmers who died during protest, 4 Dec 2021
- Down To Earth: SKM suspends farm protests after letter from Centre, 9 Dec 2021
- Deccan Herald/PTI: Farmers finally end year-long agitation, 9 Dec 2021
- Scroll: UP Police file chargesheet in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, 3 Jan 2022
- The Wire: 'Silent majority' supported the farm laws, says SC-appointed committee report, 21 Mar 2022
- Tribune: Farmers' bodies dismiss SC panel report as 'fake, plain bogus and trashy', 22 Mar 2022
- Outlook/PTI: SKM rejects government's MSP panel, 19 July 2022
- The Wire: Why farmers in Punjab are against the draft agriculture marketing policy, Dec 2024
- Newslaundry: 4 years on, MSP committee has no report to show, but Rs 53 lakh spent, 8 July 2026