American lawyer and author Meena Harris on Thursday said that she will not be silenced by the backlash against her in India for supporting the farmers’ protest. Meena Harris is the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Meena Harris shared a tweet that showed protestors holding her photo during a protest against international criticism of India’s handling of the farmers’ agitation. “I spoke out in support of human rights for Indian farmers, and look at the response,” she tweeted.
“I won’t be intimidated, and I won’t be silenced,” she wrote in another tweet.
Meena Harris has joined several international personalities in criticising the crackdown on the farmers’ movement in India. Pop star Rihanna’s tweet about internet cuts at protest sites near Delhi was instrumental in drawing global attention to the agitation in India.
After Rihanna’s post, Harris tweeted: “It’s no coincidence that the world’s oldest democracy was attacked not even a month ago [a reference to the US Capitol violence], and as we speak, the most populous democracy is under assault. This is related.”
She added: “We all should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters.”
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers. She had shared a toolkit related to the protests. However, she deleted the tweet about the toolkit and replaced it with another, clarifying that the earlier document had been updated.
Several pro-government social media handles claimed the toolkit was evidence of a global conspiracy to attack India. On Thursday, the Delhi Police filed a first information report against the creators of the toolkit, and refuted reports that claimed Thunberg was named in it.
Amid global outrage, the Indian government on Wednesday issued a statement calling the tweets supporting farmers a “sensationalist” attempt by “vested groups” to intervene in India’s internal matters. The government also roped in actors and sportspersons to counter international criticisms.
Tens of thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s border points for over two months, seeking the repeal of agricultural laws passed in September. The protests had largely been peaceful but violence erupted on January 26, when a tractor rally planned to coincide with Republic Day celebrations turned chaotic. After the violence, the protest sites were heavily barricaded.
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