INDIAN farmers scored a spectacular victory today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi repealed three marketising farm laws after 14 months of mass struggle.

Mr Modi made the announcement on national TV on the day of the Guru Purab festival, when Sikhs celebrate the birthday of the religion’s founder Guru Nanak. Sikhs from Punjab made up many of the farmers whose roadblocks and rallies have besieged New Delhi for almost a year.

He appealed to the demonstrators to return to their homes, saying the formal repeal of the laws would go through parliament in December. He said he was “apologising to the nation” — but for failing to convince farmers of the benefits of the laws, rather than for pushing them through in the first place.