Abuse, Mockery & Slut-Shaming: What Women Faced For Speaking Out Over Farmers' Protests

The internet was at its worst when a few women decided to tweet in support of the ongoing farmers' protests in India.

On Tuesday, Pop star Rihanna raised a question on the shutdown of internet services at protest sites around Delhi following a clash between the police and some fringe elements in the tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day.

Her tweet instantly put a spotlight on government tactics to quell the protests, which have largely remained peaceful.

It was an eye-opener on a global scale.

Soon, climate activist Greta Thunberg, Mia Khalifa and Amanda Cerny tweeted in support of the farmers' protests.

However, all things right-wing were immediately offended at the tweets, which they believe were coming from "clueless" women, who lack intelligence to understand the contentious farm laws.

And they resorted to what they excel at -- slut-shaming, name-calling and glorifying abuse.

The internet hit an all-time low when people first tried to find links between Rihanna and Muslims, Khalistan and Pakistan and even raised questions of paid tweets.

Clearly, none of the claims hold any merit but the desi social media once again exposed the deep-rooted misogyny in India coming from men and women alike.

The discourse took the ugliest turn when right-wing trolls congratulated Chris Brown for abusing Rihanna, bringing up victimisation by an abuser as a justified way to get back at her.

'Chris Brown' continues to trend on Twitter India hours after Rihanna tweeted in support of India's #FarmersProtest, as pro Modi, BJP supporters troll Rihanna, glorify her assault, flood her mentions with tweets justifying assault on her pic.twitter.com/LJRPLM3oQ1

¡ª Hindutva Watch (@Hindutva__watch) February 2, 2021

Kangana Ranaut, Bollywood actor and a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called Rihanna a "fool" and asked her to "sit down" for supporting the protesters, claiming that they are not not farmers but "terrorists".

No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA...
Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies. https://t.co/OIAD5Pa61a

¡ª Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 2, 2021

When climate activist Greta Thunberg also shared the CNN article and wrote, "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India," on her Twitter.

We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.
https://t.co/tqvR0oHgo0

¡ª Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 2, 2021

Many resorted to former US President Donald Trump's icky tweet asking Greta to work on her anger management problems and chill.

"So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!", the former US president had tweeted from a now suspended account.

The 18-year-old activist was called a "kid", a "racist colonial stooge" and was advised to keep her nose outside India's internal matters. Some questioned Greta's support to farmers since their stubble burning practices in winter season is a massive cause of air pollution in north India.

All hell broke loose when former adult film actor Mia Khalifa tweeted in support of protesting farmers. Calling the suspension of the internet at the main protest sites a human rights violation, Khalifa said she stands with the farmers.

She tweeted "What in the human rights violations is going on?! They cut the internet around New Delhi?! #FarmersProtest"

What in the human rights violations is going on?! They cut the internet around New Delhi?! #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/a5ml1P2ikU

¡ª Mia K. (@miakhalifa) February 3, 2021

Twitter ran amok with abusive tweets directed at her for speaking out and bringing up her past work as a method to retort.

In one of the tweets, Kangana Ranaut shared a collage of herself in traditional attire and Rihanna performing on stage, labelling herself as a "Right Wing role model" as against the "left wing role model", adding "I rest my case" to the tweet.

Right Wing role model VS Left Wing role model ...
I rest my case.#Indiatogether #IndiaAgainstPropoganda pic.twitter.com/LkQM0MHD7B

¡ª Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 3, 2021

While Kangana's tweet was a clear example of virtue signaling, character assassination and a holier than thou approach, people on Twitter did not spare her and reminded her of "sanskaars" while sharing semi-naked pictures of her from movies and photoshoots. They perhaps believed misogyny and abuse must be countered with misogyny and abuse.

Another woman who faced trolls was former BJP MLA from Bihar and Bihar BJP vice president Baby Kumari, who retweeted Rihanna's tweet and asked who she is.

No, I don't.
Infact, I don't want to know them who just tweet for money without even knowing a single point about the matter.

?????? ????? ??... ?????????? ?????? ??... https://t.co/eamruVdDCZ

¡ª Baby Kumari BJP (@babykumaribjp) February 3, 2021

People made fun of her name, trolled her for having phenomenally fewer followers than Rihanna and some just asked her to shut up.

I have received trolling, death threats, rape threats, threats of sexual violence, misogyny, anti-black racism, outright lies, gaslighting, false allegations, malicious reporting, smear campaigns, everything really -I stand for human rights #IStandWithFarmers #FarmersProtest

¡ª Claudia Webbe MP (@ClaudiaWebbe) February 1, 2021

Clearly, desi Twitter has become a toxic space where women who speak out are believed to lack intellect and asked to shut up when they express their views on a subject, especially at a time when women are increasingly dominating dissent spaces and registering their voices and presence at protests sites across the world.