Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has extended her support to the farmers protesting in India on micro-blogging site Twitter, saying "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India".
The teen activist's post came after pop icon Rihanna shared a news article from CNN highlighting the Indian government's crackdown on the farmers by cutting off internet services on the border areas of the capital Delhi.
The CNN article mentioned that internet access remained blocked in many districts of Delhi following clashes that erupted on 26 January (Republic Day) in the capital city.
Several environmentalists, including Jamie Margolin, Vanessa Nakate, Jerome Foster II, Leah Namugerwa, and Licypriya Kangujam took to social media to back the farmers.
"World must stand in solidarity with Indian farmers", Jamie Margolin, the noted environmentalist posted on the micro-blogging site.
UK MP Claudia Webbe thanked pop star Rihanna for highlighting the news. She is not the first British parliamentarian to support the farmers, Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has also taken up their cause. In December 2020, he made a statement in the UK parliament, saying "Will the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) convey to the Indian Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) our heartfelt anxieties, our hopes for a speedy resolution to the current deadlock".
However, some netizens reacted to Thunberg's tweet and suggested that she needs to read more on this issue. They replied to her tweets, noting "But before that sit once & read about the issue", and "It's unfortunate that people think that they know the issue".
'Irresponsible', Indian Foreign Ministry's reaction to global remarks
Reacting to comments made by foreign individuals and entities, the Indian Foreign Ministry issued a statement today. The ministry slammed the statements as "not accurate". The statement said, "The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible. 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".
Protest Against Farm Laws
Thousands of farmers have been opposing three laws: the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
The farmers have been protesting on the outskirts of Delhi since 26 November 2020 and have blocked roads in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana as they demand a complete rollback of recently-passed agricultural laws by the central government.