From Rihanna To Greta Thunberg, Global Support Pours In For Protesting Farmers

The Indian government's response to the ongoing farmers' protest has now drawn international condemnation, with several high-profile celebrities speaking out in support of the farmers.

It began with pop singer and businesswoman Rihanna's short tweet on Tuesday night and has now escalated to include several others, including activist Greta Thunberg and vlogger Amanda Cerny.

nyt.com

American singer in a post addressed to her 101 million followers and linking a CNN report on the protests wrote, "Why aren't we talking about this?" The simple post had, in a little more than 12 hours, been shared around 2 lakh times.

why aren¡¯t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S

¡ª Rihanna (@rihanna) February 2, 2021

Predictably she has been lauded and slammed equally by the right and left. Of the latter, Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut called her a "fool" and described the "farmers" as "terrorists trying to divide India."

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

In the hours that followed, many others have stepped forward to criticise the situation. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg also spoke up in support of the farmers in India, expressing solidarity with their cause.

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

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

AFP

Actor Amanda Cerny took to Instagram to extend her support to farmers. Sharing a powerful image from the farmers¡¯ agitation site, Amanda wrote, ¡°The world is watching. You don¡¯t have to be Indian or Punjabi or South Asian to understand the issue. All you have to do is care about humanity. Always demand freedom of speech, freedom of press, basic human and civil rights-equity and dignity for workers."

View this post on Instagram

DNA

Appreciating the international support, popular Punjabi actor Gippy Grewal, took to his Twitter profile and shared a snap-shot of Amanda¡¯s post and wrote, ¡°Thank you so much @AmandaCerny¡±

Thank you so much @AmandaCerny ? pic.twitter.com/ErHi4Wv720

¡ª Gippy Grewal (@GippyGrewal) February 3, 2021

British-Sikh filmmaker Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham fame also tweeted about the protests.

What is going on in India? What exactly have these citizens done to deserve this treatment? And in a pandemic? @RaviSinghKA https://t.co/AcgF9GJ1mH

¡ª Gurinder Chadha OBE ? (@GurinderC) November 29, 2020

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Many world leaders and celebrities have thrown their weight behind the agitation. In December, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concerns over Narendra Modi government's retaliation against peaceful protests. A few days later, India's external affairs ministry dubbed his statement as "unacceptable interference" in India's internal affairs.

More than 70 days have passed since thousands of farmers made their way to the national capital protesting against three contentious farm laws. The ongoing protest at Delhi's borders show no signs of stopping, and till date supporters continue to travel towards the national capital.

BCCL

From thousands of security personnel being deployed along the Delhi border to putting up barbed wire barricades and constructing nail studded roads and cement walls - administrative officials have taken several steps to curb the agitation. But it is the internet shutdown and crackdown against the farmers that is currently in force in some of the areas surrounding Delhi that has proved a tipping point for international icons.