India Responds as Farmer Protests Receives Global Attention
The farmers have been protesting since November, 2020 (Wikimedia Commons).
Protests led by Indian farmers have been at the forefront of India’s politics for the last few months, but they gained international traction after a viral tweet by pop-singer Rihanna that linked a CNN article discussing the Indian government’s crackdown on the protests. Prominent figures including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Vice President Kamala Harris’s niece, Meena Harris, declared their support for the protests on Twitter.
Indian farmers from the states of Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against the Indian central government’s new agricultural laws since November 2020. According to the farmers, the new laws will allow large corporations to exploit agricultural workers—the laws will essentially deregulate the market, removing previously guaranteed prices offered by the government. The central government argues that the new laws will allow farmers to gain more freedom to set prices and increase income. After protests in Delhi on January 26, India’s Republic Day, went out of control, local police responded by using tear gas, water cannons, and barbed wires. Authorities also shut down the internet for 48 hours in certain districts of the capital.
In response to the international support, the Indian External Affairs Ministry immediately released a statement, saying, “The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate or responsible.” Members of the United Hindu Front burnt effigies of Thunberg, Rihanna, and Harris as a form of resistance to their support. Twitter suspended more than 250 accounts in connection to the growing outrage against the government’s response to the protests, including the Caravan, an independently published online magazine, and farmer groups such as the Kisan Ekta Morcha. However, the most noteworthy reaction to foreign support was when Delhi Police filed an FIR (First Incident Report) against a “toolkit” that Greta Thunberg tweeted to advise people on how to support and participate in the protests. It included advice on how to promote the protest on social media, protest at Indian embassies around the world, and gain more information on the laws and context of the situation. While Thunberg eventually deleted that particular tweet, Delhi police charged the document with Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).
Moreover, the government agenda was supported by certain Indian celebrities that criticised this alleged “foreign interference.” Right-wing Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut reacted to Rihanna’s tweet by calling her a “fool” and a “dummy,” and she accused the farmers of being terrorists paving the path for Chinese control over India. Ranaut’s response was not well-received by many, and nearly 129,000 people have signed a petition to ban her from Twitter. Other noteworthy personalities, including actors Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, and Ajay Devgn, along with former Indian Cricket Team captain Sachin Tendulker and Indian Badminton Champion Saina Newhal, released statements warning Indians not to fall prey to “foreign propaganda” through the trending hashtags #IndiaUnited and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda. However, people have noticed the similarity in the layout and language of the celebrity tweets, suspecting central government involvement in the tweets.
Strengthening the central government’s narrative, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned the country against a growing “foreign destructive ideology” in Parliament on February 8, a clear play on the concept of “foreign direct investment or FDI.” The farmers are currently on the 75th day of their sit-in at the borders of New Delhi. They have declared their plans to strengthen their resistance, a top union official said on Monday.