Faced with a growing domestic crisis, the Indian government and its supporters appear to be on an unlikely target for their anger: international celebrities.
Pop star Rihanna has led a growing list of high-profile figures from around the world express their support for the massive peasant protests that have been upsetting the country for months, causing a furious setback.
Tens of thousands of farmers have been campaigning in the Indian capital New Delhi to protest new agricultural laws that they say could destroy their livelihoods and leave them open to exploitation by big business.
The singer posted a link to a report on the subject to her more than 100 million followers on Tuesday, asking, “Why don’t we talk about this ?!”
Before long there was much more.
Several prominent figures then joined Rihanna to show support for the protests, including teenagers Climate activist Greta Thunberg, Vice President Kamala Harris’s cousin, Meena, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., And NFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The Steelers wide receiver said he owed $ 10,000 to to provide medical assistance to farmers.
India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday condemned “established interest groups trying to enforce and derail their agenda on these protests.”
The statement does not name anyone specifically, but adds that “the temptation of sensationalist hashtags and comments on social media, especially not by celebrities and others, is not accurate or responsible.”
Meanwhile, police in Delhi said on Thursday that they had opened a case file against the creators of an online toolkit that Thunberg shared with her followers in case they wanted to help those on the ground.
Well-known supporters of Modi also rushed to denounce the intervention of international figures.
Celebrities from Bollywood and national sports stars, who remained largely silent about the protests, criticized the “external forces” in posts that used official hashtags promoted by the State Department.
‘Indians know India and must decide for India. Let us remain united as a nation, ” cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar Said Wednesday.
The reforms promulgated in September relaxed rules on the sale, pricing and storage of farm products that protected farmers from an unlimited free market for decades.
The government, Narendra Modi’s government did not suppress the largely peaceful protests and negotiations between the two parties were unsuccessful.
The protests are a rare and major challenge for Modi, who took office in 2014 and enacted the laws as essential to modernize the country’s farming.
Farmers are the most influential voting bloc in India and an important part of its economy.
Clashes between protesters and police turned violent on January 26, a holiday of the Republic of India, when a group of farmers descended from the protest route and stormed the historic Red Fort of the capital, injuring hundreds.
Authorities have since stepped up security at various protest sites and erected steel barriers to prevent protesters from entering the capital. The government also restricted access to mobile internet on some protest sites until Tuesday night.
The US State Department said in a statement to NBC News on Thursday: “We urge that any differences between the parties be resolved through dialogue. In general, the United States welcomes steps that will improve the efficiency of India’s markets and will attract greater investment in the private sector. “
“We recognize that unhindered access to information, including the Internet, is fundamental to freedom of expression and a hallmark of a thriving democracy,” the spokesman added.
Organizers condemned the violence, but refused to stop the protest.
Last month, the Supreme Court of India ordered an indefinite time for the implementation of the laws. However, farm unions are still demanding a complete overhaul of the legislation.
The leader of India’s main opposition Congressman Shashi Tharoor said the damage done to the country’s worldview by the “undemocratic behavior” of his government could not be repaired by asking celebrities to tweet.
Tharoor said the government was “embarrassing Indian celebrities to Westerners”.
The Associated Press and Abigail Williams contributed.