On a sunny Delhi afternoon last December, farmers were preparing to finally go back to their homes. For over a year, they were on the borders of India’s national capital, protesting three new agricultural laws by the country’s right-wing prime minister, Narendra Modi.

“We have defeated Modi,” said Sartaj Singh as he danced to a local pop song. He is a farmer with eight acres of land in his village in Punjab, about 250 miles away from the spot on a major national highway that protesters had blocked for over a year.

A few days earlier, Modi had apologized to farmers and announced that his government would repeal the controversial farm laws. This was a rare moment of humility from a leader not known for making concessions. Modi and his team knew they would face repercussions in the important upcoming state elections if the protests continued.