After the tremendous rise of the farmers’ movement during the 2020 protest — which succeeded in forcing the Modi-Shah-led BJP government to repeal the controversial farm laws — the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of farmers’ unions, faced internal divisions. Disagreements arose when some Punjab-based unions pushed to contest the Punjab Assembly elections, while others strongly opposed the idea. This led to a split, with a new faction naming itself Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) breaking away from the original SKM.

In 2024, SKM (Non-Political), in alliance with the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, launched Farmers’ Protest 2.0, demanding the fulfillment of long-pending issues, with a primary focus on a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

However, unlike in 2020, the central government — this time acting through the Haryana government — managed to block the protesters at the Punjab-Haryana borders, preventing them from reaching Delhi. The protest dragged on for over a year, marked by various phases of momentum and setbacks.

Ultimately, the movement faced a major blow when the Punjab government dismantled the protest camps at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders on March 19–20, 2025, following the detention of farmer leaders shortly after their meeting with Punjab and Union government representatives.

In this exclusive interview, journalist Mandeep Singh sits down with farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha to trace the rise and fall of Farmers’ Protest 2.0 — analyzing its achievements, shortcomings, and lessons for the future.

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