It's become one of the largest protests the world has ever seen. For more than two months

now hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers have been camping on the streets of Delhi,

weathering a freezing winter to protest against the government. And last week that protest

reached a boiling point. There were some extraordinary scenes on television

of protesters' swerving of speed and tractors towards police lines, and they'd reach

Delhi's red fort, one of the most iconic sights in all of India, scale the ramparts, raise

the religious flag there, and then fighting grow power. The clashes came after months of

stalemate. Millions of Indian farmers are calling for the repeal of a raft of new agricultural

laws, which the government believes will modernise farming. Many Indian farmers are already

struggling and have been for years. They fear that this would leave the mercy of major corporations

who would move in and it could out muscle them in the market. With a capital choked by protests

and the country divided, how will the Modi government deal with its greatest challenge yet?

You're listening to stories of our times from the times and the Sunday times. I'm Manfin Rana.

Today, India, the farmers versus the government.

The protests have been expected. In fact, the farmers had planned a tractor rally for

India's Republic Day. Stars of the show, these bizarre sort of parades of sort of

ballistic missiles and acrobats balanced on motorbikes.

Hugh Tomlinson is the time South Asia correspondent. He's been based in Delhi since 2015,

and he's covered a number of protests in his time. But he's never seen anything like

the scenes are unfolded in the capital on India's Republic Day, last Tuesday.

The farmers had planned their own protest and had been granted permission for a tractor rally

on the edge of the city. But the protest soon spiraled out of control.

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