In independent India, many protests have taken place over time, but none have caught the imagination of the world or got a government, known to silence dissent, to do course correction. The farmers’ protest, which began in 2020 and culminated this year, was one such episode that not only mobilised people and political parties but forced the government to roll back its decision---its first in six years since assuming power---marking a watershed moment in the history of protests in the country.

From the agitation turning violent in January to the government passing a bill to repeal the three farm laws in December, and the eventual calling off of the protests by farmers, the year 2021 clearly belong to the farmer. As the country celebrates National Famers' Day today, we look at how the events unfolded in the past 12 months.