How the government lost the script on MSP to farmers

The Punjab farmers' agitation is growing, and the two organisations that were trying to upstage the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) are no longer in control. An agitation, perhaps scripted to end in a compromise, is unexpectedly rewriting itself.

The Centre wanted to settle the issue of minimum support price (MSP) after having made a promise to do so in 2020 to end the farmers' movement against three farm laws. A resolution before the general election would insulate the government from criticism about a breach of promise.

Its opportunity came when two organisations marginal to the earlier agitation– the