Amidst a flurry of arrests of human rights defenders and journalists, farmers umbrella body Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) reported that dozens of Twitter accounts allied with the farmers struggle were withheld on June 27, 2022. As per a notice from the social media platform, this was done under India’s Information Technology Act, 2000.
“Twitter has withheld about a dozen Twitter accounts in India, including the Twitter handle Kisan Ekta Morcha allied with the farmers movement, without any warning. Among them are important accounts like Tractor to Twitter,” said SKM leader Darshan Pal.
When the farmers’ movement began in 2020, farmer youths created a huge presence on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram to tackle any misinformation or false news against the struggle. The accounts also succeeded in spreading farmer grievances to the world to celebrities like Rihanna and world youth leaders like Greta Thunberg. The accounts garnered millions of followers over the months and reported various activities of the movement.
“Through these channels, the voice of farmers came out of the village to big cities and around the world, and in real sense the voice of farmers reached from Tractor to Twitter. The banning of such a strong voice of farmers-labourers on digital platforms by the government is not only dangerous for democracy, but is also a living example of Emergency,” said the SKM in a press release.
Moreover, it called the ban a part of a larger campaign against human rights defenders by the ruling regime. Leaders pointed out how human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, who fought for justice for the 2002 Gujarat riots victims and survivors, and former Gujarat State DGP RB Sreekumar, were arrested on June 26. At the same time, another case was registered against former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt naming him as a co-conspirator in a case pertaining to forgery and malicious prosecution. Later, AltNews Co-Founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested by the Delhi police for a 2018 tweet. The withholding of farmers accounts was thus part of a series of administrative moves over the weekend.
“We strongly oppose and condemn this dictatorial behaviour by the Centre. This is exactly the situation of “the pot calling the kettle black”, where those who demand justice are being arrested,” said the SKM.
Incidentally, the 1975 Emergency was also declared in the intervening night of June 25 and June 26 of that year. Farmers recollected the anti-people conditions of the Emergency period when the Centre adopted an authoritarian rule, and dissenting voices were crushed. Drawing parallels with the current status quo, leaders said the BJP has pressured Twitter to shut down the voices questioning the government.
“Both Kisan Ekta Morcha and Tractor2twitr have been withheld per the “local law”. And for what? Questioning the government in a democracy?” asked an enraged personnel of the SKM’s IT cell.
The SKM demanded the restoration of the accounts as well as the release of Setalvad and Sreekumar. The former was remanded to police custody till July 1. Meanwhile, Zubair was taken into custody on orders of a Burari magistrate.
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