India hits back at foreign celebrities for supporting farmers

India hits back at foreign celebrities supporting farmers

India took a dig at foreign celebs, for portraying Indian government in a negative light and forwarding their ideas on farmers’ protests without detailed and correct knowledge. As the protests in and around the areas of Delhi approach the third month, farmers have mustered the support from various celebrities from the west by captivating global attention. The glimpses of the protests reaching the far ends of this earth have provoked influential personalities to express their views on them which according to the Indian government are actually broadening the divide and discontentment already prevalent in the country.

Before commenting on such matters on the platforms where your voice is actually perceived as a statement, MEA said, "a detailed study of facts should be initiated and proper understanding of the stances of both parties should be undertaken." Public figures with a following soaring to millions have affirmed their solidarity with farmers on Twitter. The list includes pop star Rihanna, environmental activist Greta Thunberg and US Vice President Kamala Harris's lawyer niece Meena Harris.

In order to prevent the protests from catching global spotlight, the government announced that Indian Parliament held discussions, debates and passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector. As asserted, these reforms will open market space and provide greater flexibility to farmers complementing the promotion of economically and ecologically sustainable farming. The government also said that a section of farmers have "some reservations" about the reforms.

"Retaliating to the demands and outrage of protestors, the government has initiated a dialogue with farmers' representatives. Union Ministers are themselves monitoring the discussions and eleven rounds of negotiations have passed which ended on an impasse. The GoI has also offered to put laws on hold," the order said. "This is unfortunate that vested interest groups are using protests as a shield to forward their agenda and derail them. The incidents of 26 January 2021 clearly depict the same. An occasion of national pride, honour and dignity was sabotaged with violence, vandalism and destruction erupting on streets of the National Capital," it further added.

The government claimed that some vested groups are trying to captivate international support to the protests in order to build pressure on the government. "This is unsettling for India and for a civil society everywhere," added MEA. The government further emphasized that the protests should be viewed as India's democratic guarantees being exercised and efforts being made to resolve the standoff reached amid government and farmers.