What is behind India’s U-turn on its farming laws?

For more than a year, farmers across India have been holding mass protests, strikes and sit-ins.

Their actions have been against a set of farm laws that, they say, hurt their livelihoods.

But the government had long defended the legislation, which would have ended minimum price guarantees for produce.

That was until Friday, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a sudden announcement his administration will withdraw the controversial laws.

But why now, and what are the political and economic implications?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests: 

Yogendra Yadav – Founder of Jai Kisan Andolan, an all India Farmers’ and Farmworkers’ Organization of Sawaj

Ashish Shukla – International journalist covering India’s current affairs and its governing party extensively

Javed M Ansari – Political analyst and commentator