In five hours, the tweet triggers 42,000 comments.
As a standoff between farmers in India and the country’s Bharatiya Janata party-led government continues, it seems like the issue has been noticed by global pop icon Rihanna. On Tuesday, she took to Twitter to express her concern about the growing unrest in India, which started with three farm law bills passed last year.
The Barbados-born singer tweeted, “Why aren’t we talking about this? #FarmersProtest”
Rihanna also posted a CNN news story that reported that India cut internet services in various parts of New Delhi because of clashes between the police and protesting farmers. Within a few minutes of posting it, the tweet went viral with thousands of re-tweets.
Indians and people across the globe also appreciated the singers’ taking note of the unrest by posting pictures from the clash that happened between Indian police and the protesting farmers on January 26, the Indian Republic Day.
In five hours, the tweet triggered 42,000 comments.
Some internet users also found the moment opportune to ask what were the Indian celebrities busy doing. But despite a huge support and appreciation, the tweet also caught the eye of Indian actor Kangana Ranaut.
Ranaut, who has lately waged social media wars with a number of celebrities, often offering her half-baked expertise on every issue, tweeted, “No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India, so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like USA… Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies.”
Author and civil rights activist Khaled Beydoun replied to Rihannas’ tweet with a simple answer/curt, apt reply. “Because the victims are poor and Brown.”
He then went on to also tweet: “Salute to Rihanna for shedding light on the Farmers Protest in India — she is bringing needed attention to a movement silenced by Twitter and violently suppressed by the Modi government.”
why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest https://t.co/obmIlXhK9S
— Rihanna (@rihanna) February 2, 2021
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