In a surprise decision, the Indian Prime Minister announced his government’s intent to repeal the three farm laws introduced last year. While several analysts criticise the repeal as a setback for reforms, most have hailed this as a ‘win’ for a citizens’ movement. Where did things go wrong?

No one denies the need for reform in agriculture, the dispute is about what constitutes reform. The very move to push reform through an ordinance was problematic. What emergency, in the midst of a pandemic, necessitated the passing of three bills which later were not even implemented? The timing of the ordinances couldn’t be worse.

To our farmers’ credit, while the government was busy bulldozing farm laws through ordinances, Indian agriculture remained the single bright spot in a faltering economy that was hit by the COVID crisis.