"In Solidarity": Greta Thunberg Extends Support To Farmers

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has extended her support to the farmers’ protest at Delhi borders against the controversial agricultural laws.

“We stand in solidarity with #farmersprotest in India”, Ms Thunberg tweeted late on Tuesday night.

The teen activist’s tweet came hours after international pop icon Rihanna shared a news article that highlighted the government’s latest crackdown on the agitating farmers by cutting off internet services in many regions.

The tweet sent the singer trending on Twitter with thousands of responses, including one from actor Kangana Ranaut, an ardent supporter of the ruling BJP, who has made no bones about her strong dislike for the farmers’ protest.

The internet services in the Delhi border areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri – epicentres of the farmers’ months-long protest against the Centre’s agriculture laws – were suspended on Saturday and the shutdown has been extended twice to be in force till at least 5 pm on Wednesday.

Lakhs of farmers across India have been on protest since September 2020, demanding the Centre repeal laws they say will leave them at the mercy of large corporate firms.

A planned tractor parade on Republic Day turned violent when some protesters deviated from pre-agreed routes, tore down barricades and clashed with police, who used tear gas to try and restrain them.

Agriculture employs about half of India’s population of 1.3 billion, and unrest among an estimated 150 million landowning farmers is one of the biggest challenges to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since first coming to power in 2014.

Eleven rounds of talks between farm unions and the government have failed to break the deadlock. The government has offered to put the laws on hold for 18 months, but farmers say they will not end their protests for anything less than a full repeal.