DM Monitoring
New Delhi: When American author Meena Harris tweeted criticism of the Indian state’s clampdown on farmers protesting agricultural reforms, nationalist counter-protesters responded by burning her portrait. Hundreds of Indians barraged her with abuse on Twitter, telling her to stay out of their country’s affairs. Harris, who is the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris and is also of Indian descent, rejected the idea that the 18 million people who make up the Indian diaspora had no place in expressing opinions on the country. In the US alone, 4.8 million people are either Indian migrants or report Indian heritage. “Don’t tell me to stay out of your affairs,” Harris wrote earlier this month on Twitter. “These are all of our issues.”
Harris also tweeted a photo of counter-protesters setting her image ablaze. “Weird to see a photo of yourself burned by an extremist mob but imagine what they would do if we lived in India,” she wrote.
Tens of thousands of Indian farmers have been protesting in and around the capital, New Delhi, over new rules and regulations that they say could impoverish them. The government has responded with internet shutdowns in some areas, while security forces have arrested protesters and tried to block demonstrations. The protests have exposed a gulf between the nationalist sentiment cultivated by the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at home and the deeply felt concern among some of those of Indian heritage elsewhere. And at the heart of this war of words lies the complex question of who can legitimately claim to be Indian and who has the right to challenge perceived injustices in the country.
Harris is joined by a plethora of other celebrities of Indian descent in her condemnations of Modi’s government and India’s security forces. Several Indian-Canadians including the politician Jagmeet Singh, the poet Rupi Kaur and the comedian Lilly Singh have voiced their support for the farmers, as has the Indian-British singer Jay Sean and Indian-American comedian Hasan Minhaj.
Like Harris, many of these Indians abroad are being put in the basket of Western celebrities who are also stoking anger in India. Singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg put a global spotlight on the farmers’ movement when they tweeted a CNN story on the issue to their millions of followers. Mia Khalifa, a Lebanese-American former celebrity and former adult film star, has also been vocally supportive of the farmers. Images of all three were burned alongside that of Harris on a four-headed effigy.
Soon after Rihanna and Thunberg’s remarks, Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar tweeted: “India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised,” adding, “External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let’s remain united as a nation.” Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar weighed in too, writing: “Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences,” using the hashtag “India Together.” The farmers’ protests began in response to a government plan to reverse a decades-old practice to guarantee prices to farmers for certain crops. Farmers fear that the new rules will also make it easier for corporations to exploit agricultural workers and help big companies drive down prices.
