Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg took to Twitter to extend support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation in India. In 2018, the 18-year-old environmental activist shot to fame with her ‘Fridays for Future’ movement.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Greta Thunberg, while attaching a news story about internet shutdowns in Delhi, said, “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.”
The tweet came hours after pop star Rihanna shared the same story that details internet shutdowns in Delhi owing to the farmers’ protest and said in a tweet, “why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest.”
Thunberg, who has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize had also spoken out against the NEET and JEE exams in 2020.
US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece, Meena Harris also took to the micro-blogging site and supported farmers. She said, “Democracy is under assault in India.”
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been camping on Delhi’s borders for over two months demanding the repeal of Centre’s three new farm laws. The agitation took a turn for the worst when a group of protesters deviated from the route of the farmers’ Republic Day Tractor Parade and attacked Delhi Police personnel in ITO before storming the Red Fort.
The Government of India has offered to suspend the farm laws for a period of 12-18 months, a commitment reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Centre is ready to discuss the farm laws both inside and out of Parliament.
Despite 10 rounds of talks between them, the Government of India and the farmers’ union comprising 40 outfits have been unable to reach a consensus. While the government is offering to discuss the three contentious laws clause-by-clause, farmer leaders remain adamant on their demand for a complete withdrawal of the legislation as well as legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.