For more than a year, the farmers in Punjab kept the hope alive of reaping the benefits of their struggle against the contentious farm laws. They, in the process, nourished the movement by maintaining a united stand, mass support, and innovative ways to protest.

Besides maintaining unity among themselves, the farmers acted with patience, determination, by gathering support from all quarters, and reaching out to even younger population via social media, and mobilising the support right from the ground level. Notwithstanding fateful incidents - like January 26 Delhi violence and recent murder at Tikri border, the farmers leaders managed to kept the momentum of their agitation against the three farm laws alive. The farm leaders, though hailing from various outfits and states, remained united all through despite differences in opinion, having diverse ideologies. Reason: their demand was the same — repealing all three farm laws and guaranteed MSP.

A pan-India umbrella body — Samyukta Kisan Morcha comprising senior farmer leaders from different outfits and States - was constituted to head the struggle and negotiate with the Centre. SKM, in fact, gave the farmers’ movement a face, as it was given authority by the thousands of hundreds of protesting farmers to take a call on their behalf.

The farmers in Punjab were first to oppose the Centre’s three ordinances — Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020; The Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 — which later became laws.

In no time, the protest from Punjab started spreading to Haryana, and then other parts of the state, including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal. Soon, the political parties joined too. But it was only after the ordinances were promulgated, and bills were passed in the Parliament and the three laws came into force, the agitation intensified.

 Thousands of farmers, well-prepared for a long stay with their tractor-trolleys laden with food and basic amenities, marched towards Delhi, braving water cannons, tear gas, lathis, and made the borders of the national Capital epicentre of protests on November 26, 2020 - the day real agitation started, which eventually turned out to be the longest agrarian movement in the recallable history of the independent India.