NEW DELHI (INDIA) – Protesting Indian farmers captured global attention on Wednesday with prominent Western activists teaming up with pop superstar Rihanna in support of their campaign, which continued for months, against agriculture reforms, however, India said the intervention was irresponsible.
The government says the reforms will help farmers and help in making their sector more efficient.
Police have since heavily barricaded three main protest sites with concertina wire fences and obstructions on roads and cut off the internet in some areas.
US lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, said on Twitter, “We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters,”
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also posted a message of support on Twitter, sharing a news report about the internet shutdowns.
“We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India,” Thunberg wrote.
Hours earlier, singer Rihanna was seen making waves by posting an article on the demonstrations to her 101 million Twitter followers, also using the #FarmersProtest tag.
India said the foreigners’ comments were “neither accurate nor responsible”.
“A very small section of farmers” had issues with the new laws and some groups had tried to mobilise international support against India, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken,” it said.
Some supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government also spoke against the foreign comment.
Actress Kangana Ranaut described the protesting farmers as “terrorists who are trying to divide India”.
“Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation,” Ranaut said in reply to Rihanna’s post.
The government insists the reforms, which will allow big retailers to buy directly from growers, will be of benefit to the farmers and draw investment to a sector that accounts to nearly 15% of India’s $2.9 trillion economy and employs about half its 1.3 billion people.
The farmers say the reforms will mean long-standing guaranteed prices for their crops will end and subject them to the whims of big business.
The farmers are urging the withdrawal of the laws. The government has offered some concessions but has ruled out abandoning the reforms.
