Farmers' protest: An insecure, paranoid govt

The government’s response to some tweets that originated in foreign countries about the farmers’ agitation may prove to be unwise and counterproductive for itself. It has overreacted to them. The tweets made earlier this week by pop star Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg did the rounds in the world Twitter circuit, attracting attention. Both of them supported the farmers and criticised the measures taken by the government, including the suspension of internet services, to tackle it. The farmers’ agitation had elicited attention even before this, and various personalities, groups and organisations abroad had commented on it, especially from countries with large Indian diasporas. Rihanna’s huge following on Twitter seems to have been the trigger for the government's response but it may have only helped to draw more attention to its own deeds.

The government has acted in an insecure and paranoid way to any favourable view of or expression of support for the farmers. Within the country, many such supporters have been called anti-nationals. But it is laughable to see in the expression of support for farmers by Rihanna, Thunberg and others conspiracies against the Indian government. The government had first wanted some tweets to be removed. Twitter blocked them, but then unblocked them as it said they constituted free speech. Then came the External Affairs Ministry’s objection to the two celebrities’ tweets and the stepped-up campaign against a presumed vilification campaign against India. It has said that the "temptation" of sensationalist social media hashtags and views is "neither accurate nor responsible,” and launched a drive to counter what it thinks is propaganda to discredit India. Even an FIR has been filed against imagined conspirators. Prominent personalities of the country from fields like films and sports found it necessary to run an orchestrated campaign to counter Rihanna and Thunberg. This could only have been masterminded by the government.

The Indian State should not allow itself to be provoked by some tweets made outside the country and act in such a paranoid fashion. There is bound to be a criticism of the government’s policies and actions outside the country, just as there is criticism within India of the policies and actions of the governments of other countries. The Indian government has also commented on events or matters that happened in other countries. It is not good for it to be seen as easily touched and swayed by the criticism of individuals elsewhere. The government’s reputation is already in tatters given the iron-handed way in which it has dealt with the farmers’ protest, disregarding their fundamental rights. Its intolerance of criticism is known within the country, now it has directed such intolerance abroad and attracted negative global attention to itself.