With #IndiaAgainstPropaganda and #IndiaTogether, Bollywood superstars Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn, and many others have triggered a movement on social media, urging people to stand united and not fall for any false propaganda against India or Indian policies.
The movement began after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a statement reacting to comments by Rihanna, Mia Khalifa,Greta Thunberg, Amanda Cerny, along with others and urged people that before making any assumptions or jumping to any conclusions, they must understand what the issue really is.
Superstar Akshay Kumar took the movement up a notch higher by tweeting, “…the efforts being undertaken to resolve their issues are evident. Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences”.
Actor Ajay Devgn joined the bandwagon and said, “Don’t fall for any false propaganda against India or Indian policies. It’s important to stand united at this hour...”
Sharing the MEA statement on Twitter, actor Suniel Shetty tweeted, “We must always take a comprehensive view of things, as there is nothing more dangerous than a half-truth”.
Calling farmers “the backbone of India”, Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar said, “…Let us together, make every effort we can to find solutions that work for everyone…Let us not let anyone divide us”.
From "New Amsterdam" series actor Anupam Kher to filmmakers Ekta Kapoor and Nila Madhab Panda to singer Kailash Kher and others, many have joined forces to advocate for peace and to remain united.
While many Bollywood celebrities are now coming out against American celebs such as Rihanna, whose tweet - allegedly based on “half-truth” - sparked social media outrage, some have been appreciating her and others for voicing their concern and drawing international attention to the farmer issue.
Within hours of Rihanna’s tweet on India's protesting farmers, singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, as a gesture of appreciation, released a song dedicated to her titled "Riri (Rihanna)".
Taking a jibe at Diljit, actress Kangana Ranaut, who has been critical of the farmers and called them terrorists, tweeted in Hindi, “He also needs to earn a rupee or two. Since when have you been planning this? It takes at least a month to release a song, and libru (a short derogatory term for liberal) want us to believe it's all organic. Ha ha".
Rihanna's tweet has brought a sea of reactions from many international celebrities, bringing global attention to the ongoing farmer protests in India.
The public opinion on these protests is divided, with some supporting the farmers and others siding with the Modi government.