Twitter users have praised actor Sonakshi Sinha for speaking out in support of celebrities such as Rihanna and Greta Thunberg who have been vilified by right wing trolls, the media and the Indian government for their now viral tweets drawing attention to the farmers' protest.
The Dabangg actor on Thursday, 4 February, shared a post from Instagram handle Storysellercomics on her Instagram stories.
"The voices raised are about the violation of human rights, suppressions of free internet and expression, state propaganda, hate speech and abuse of power," the post read.
"While news and media will have you think that these are outside forces trying to control the functioning of our country, you must remember that these are not alien species but fellow humans who are speaking up for the rights of other humans," the post added.
The post went on to say that the harassment of journalists, internet bans hate speech and slandering of protestors through state and media propaganda are the issues that are being highlighted on a global stage.
"It's the same narrative oppressors weave all the time. Domestic violence at home is 'ghar ki baat'. 'Tum kaun hote ho hamare andar ke maamlo mein bolene waala.' (Who are you to speak in our family matters) Because the oppressor fears a free thinking mind that is not dependent on them and will always try to paint their influence as interference," it read.
Twitter Praises Sonakshi for Raising Her Voice
Several Twitter users posted screenshots of Sonakshi's Instagram story and lauded her for raising her voice when most members of Bollywood have chosen to either remain silent or passively echo the government's sentiments.
Govt, Media Criticise Rihanna, Thunberg's Tweets on Farmers' Protest
On Tuesday, 2 February, pop star Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg expressed solidarity with farmers' protests against the Central government's farm laws and questioned the internet shutdown at protest sites in Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs soon released a statement condemning their words, calling it "propaganda". "Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," the statement said.
Soon after, several Indian celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn, Virat Kolhi and Sachin Tendulkar, expressed support for the government's stand on the protests and called for an "amicable resolution" to the protests through coordinated tweets with the same hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.
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