From Rihanna to Mia Khalifa: When global celebs stood up for Indian farmers against farm laws

 

  

The farmers' protests gained global spotlight  courtesy of celebrities  like Rihanna, Mia Khalifa, Hasan Minhaj and Greta Thunberg who raised the issue.

rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 19, announced the rollback of the three contentious farm laws after over a year of protests by farmers in various parts of the country. The protests have remained in the headlines since then for various reasons. They also gained global attention  courtesy of celebrities who raised the issue.

Here are some of the global figures who sought to spread awareness about the issue.

RIHANNA

The protests gained international spotlight last year when singer and actor Rihanna on February 2, 2020, asked: "Why aren’t we talking about this?" She shared a news report on the farmers' protests in the post, which garnered over 3 lakh retweets and landed her in a storm.

GRETA THUNBERG

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, too, shared the report and said: "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India."

AMANDA CERNY

US vlogger Amanda Cerny came out in support of Rihanna when she was trolled for her support for farmers. Cerny said she would always stand for "basic human rights".

HASAN MINHAJ

Comedian Hasan Minhaj had called on people to understand the protests.

MIA KHALIFA

Lebanese model Mia Khalifa had tweeted in support of the farmers and took a dig at the allegations of people being paid to tweet in farmers' favour.

MEENA HARRIS

Lawyer and US Vice-President Kamala Harris’ niece, Meena Harris, said the “world’s most populous democracy is under assault” and "we must be outraged".

JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER

Juju Smith-Schuster of the US's National Football League donated had USD 10,000 “to provide medical assistance to the farmers in need in India to help save lives during these times”.

LILLY SINGH

YouTuber Lilly Singh walked the red carpet at the Grammys in March with a mask that read ‘I stand with farmers’. She later shared a picture of her wearing the mask on Instagram.

JIM COSTA

Representative Jim Costa said: "The unfolding events in India are troubling."

ILHAN OMAR

Representative Ilhan Omar had said: "India must protect their [farmers] basic democratic rights."

The Indian government and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, such as Sambit Patra and Kiren Rijiju, had called such global support an "international conspiracy to defame India".

 

Source India Today