MEA's veiled response to Rihanna? Says vested groups mobilising against India

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday released a statement on the global support over the farmers’ protests, alleging that “vested interest groups” have tried to “mobilise international support against India.” The government’s reaction came shortly after several international celebrities, including singer and entrepreneur Rihanna, climate activist Greta Thunberg and Meena Harris, niece of America’s Vice President Kamala Harris, expressed support for the protests by the farmers in India. 

The MEA in its statement stated that the farm laws were passed after “a full debate and discussion,” and added that “a very small section of farmers in parts of India” have reservations about these reforms. However, when the bills were passed in the Parliament in September 2020, they were done so amid massive ruckus by the Opposition. The Parliament also rejected the demand of at least 17 opposition parties to send the bills to a Select Committee for greater scrutiny. The farmers who have been staging protests since then have also accused the government of not consulting the farmers before passing the laws. 

The MEA in its statement has said that it is “unfortunate” that “vested interests” are trying to “derail” the talks between the protesting farmers and the Union government. 

“It is unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them. This was egregiously witnessed on January 26, India’s Republic Day. A cherished national commemoration, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Constitution of India, was besmirched, and violence and vandalism took place in the Indian capital,” the MEA said. 

The MEA also linked the desecration of Mahatma Gandhi statues in parts of the world to these “vested interest groups.”

“Some of these vested interest groups have also tried to mobilise international support against India. Instigated by such fringe elements, Mahatma Gandhi statues have been desecrated in parts of the world. This is extremely disturbing for India and for civilised society everywhere,” the MEA added.

The MEA has also said that the police have shown ‘utmost restraint’ in handling the protests and that “hundreds of men and women serving in the police have been physically attacked, and in some cases stabbed and seriously wounded.” However, in several areas, after clashes broke out between the police and protesters, the police were seen using force, lathicharge and tear gas on the protesting farmers. Roads have been cordoned off using wires and cement blocks to prevent farmers from moving around the protest site. The MEA statement, however, unsurprisingly, does not mention the number of farmers who died while waiting and how the Delhi police have put up razor wire fences to stop protestors, and in some locations, even to stop media.

“We would like to emphasise that these protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the Government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse. 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 MEA has said in the statement. 

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November last year, demanding the government to repeal the three farm laws and legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.