India’s ongoing farmers’ protests are the largest demonstrations in global history
Credit: DANISH SIDDIQUI /REUTERS
A tweet from pop star Rihanna questioning why the world wasn’t paying attention to India’s ongoing farmers’ protests prompted a rare rebuttal from the Indian Government and a fierce debate over celebrity activism. But what is happening in India and why is one of the world’s most famous popstars paying attention?
What’s happening in India?
Hundreds of thousands of India’s farmers have occupied the streets surrounding the city of New Delhi, protesting at the removal of government price guarantees for their produce. They say it will decimate their profits and lead to the monopolisation of agriculture by several large corporates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to scrap the laws after eleven rounds of talks.
The demonstrations have been rolling for more than 70 days now, and pose a serious challenge to Mr Modi.
After four months, the movement is at a critical juncture
Credit: DANISH SIDDIQUI /REUTERS
The movement is at a critical juncture with the number of protesting farmers and riot police swelling at three main protest sites, ahead of a nationwide strike planned for Saturday. Tension has been building since violent clashes occurred between the police and farmers in New Delhi on Jan 26, which resulted in the death of one farmer.
Eye-witnesses and family members of the farmer allege he was shot by Delhi Police but authorities say he died after his tractor overturned.
The Indian Government has also launched an unprecedented crackdown on freedom of speech, filing charges against journalists and requesting Twitter shut down the accounts of 250 people.
Why has Rihanna got involved?
On Tuesday evening, popstar Rihanna shared a CNN article to her 101 million Twitter followers with the caption “why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest”. The post has since been liked more than 730,000 times, becoming a top trending topic in the United States and succeeded in drawing global attention to protests.
It is unclear why the singer chose now as the time to intervene in Indian domestic politics — she didn’t comment on last year’s mass public protests over a new ‘Islamophobic’ citizenship law, for example — but the tweet proved as provocative as her music.
why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S
— Rihanna (@rihanna) February 2, 2021
The 32-year-old Barbadian pop star regularly tweets on sociopolitical and human rights issues worldwide, showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement and for Myanmar.
In 2020, she personally donated £1.5 million for Covid-19 relief and has been a vocal advocate for the education of women worldwide.
Who else is backing the protests?
Following Rihanna’s tweet, several other public figures expressed their support for the protests on Twitter, including Greta Thunberg and Meena Harris, the niece of the US Vice President.
Within India, the protests enjoy considerable public support because approximately half of Indians are employed within agriculture and so Rihanna’s tweet was met positively.
The response of global leaders to the protests has been muted. Some observers say governments are reluctant to criticise India, a global power and regional stalwart in curtailing the rise of China.
We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.
https://t.co/tqvR0oHgo0
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 2, 2021
A planned visit to India by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Jan 26, was postponed because of Covid.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did publicly refer to the protests as “concerning” in December, under pressure from Canada’s sizeable Punjabi community, receiving a dressing down from the Indian Government in response.
What happens now?
To the surprise of many, the Indian Government published a statement on Wednesday in response to tweets from Rihanna and other public figures.
“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. “The temptation of social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.”
Farmers constitute an extremely important part of our country. And the efforts being undertaken to resolve their issues are evident. Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences. 🙏🏻#IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda https://t.co/LgAn6tIwWp
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) February 3, 2021
The singer’s post was also met with a string of almost identical tweets requesting Rihanna stay out of India’s internal affairs from many of the country’s Bollywood and cricket stars, leading to allegations it was a pre-planned, scheduled response.
Rihanna is yet to respond to the Indian government but the lengthy, firm response to her post demonstrates the growing power celebrities can wield on social media.
Is this part of a wider trend?
It’s not just Rhianna using social media to back political action: celebrities have become powerful vectors in highlighting international news stories through Instagram and Twitter.
Rihanna’s comments, "why aren’t we talking about this?", are an increasingly common refrain.
In October 2020, as conflict raged on between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Kim Kardashian West directed her power towards the cause.
“Please share the news,” she posted on her Instagram account. “We are praying for the brave men & women risking their lives.”
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In turn, the level of celebrity attention itself can become a story. Protests against police brutality in Nigeria intensified towards the end of October, with articles soon following listing the most famous backer — from pop star Beyonce to supermodel Naomi Campbell.
British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua said he was looking into donations to support locals. "This was never a trend for me! It’s real life and I want to learn how to make lasting change," he said.
Actor John Boyega speaks to the crowd during a Black Lives Matter protest in Hyde Park on June 3, 2020 in London
Credit: Getty Images Europe /Getty Images Europe
Some celebrities have become well-known for their involvement in political movements. John Boyega was seen at Black Lives Matter protests last summer, and came out in support of Sudan following a crackdown on pro-democracy protests that left over 100 dead in June 2019.
As news emerged of the violent repression of peaceful protestors, Instagram became flooded with posts of blue squares, each representing another person supporting a movement that held the potential to be life-changing for thousands.
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