Supporters of India’s farmers’ struggle have come up with unique ways to amplify farmers’ voices. While some people created hashtags for December 23, 2020 Kisan Diwas, others provided relief material to farmers at protest sites. Others still created parody songs to voice farmers’ demands.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait had appealed to all supporters to forego one meal of the day on Wednesday. However, netizens went one step ahead and created the “#JhoothBJPJhooth” specifically to commemorate the twenty-seventh day of the struggle.
“Friends, send this message to as many people as possible and join the farmers on twitter… The government is propagating lies against farmers instead of listening to the farmers. All BJP leaders are lying to discredit and weaken the peasant movement,” said the message circulating on various social media platforms.
The message also refuted many of the claims made by the central government such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech wherein he said the government had already implemented the recommendations under the Swaminathan report all over the country.
“This is a lie. If it is applicable then why is the government not removing the notification,” said the message.
Similarly, the message also questioned the claim that farmers nationwide support the new farmer bills considering there are millions of farmers sitting at the Delhi border in opposition of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services Act, the Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
It also stated that the laws would have been repealed by now if the central government did indeed listen to farmers. The message called for people on Twitter to expose these lies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Similarly, another group of supporters created a “wall of farmers” or “neki ki deewar” (wall of goodness) along the roadside at Ghazipur border to efficiently distribute relief material and supplies to farmers in need. Essential items like woollen socks, blankets, masks, shampoo, soap, tooth brush, sanitary napkins, medicines, and wood are available at two kiosks installed beside the wall. A person will receive necessary items shortly after writing the list on the wall.
Volunteers such as Delhi students and farmers together stuck posters on the wall that carried slogans expressing their views on the movement. The wall is a fully crowd-funded drive via Instagram, WhatsApp and other virtual platforms.
Still others found even more singular methods to support farmers. YouTube channel Yalgaar that describes itself as an Alternative Cultural Movement for human liberation created a parody of the A. R. Rehman song ‘Urvashi’ wherein the singer demanded Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers – one of the various demands of the movement.
Published on December 22, the song has already received more than 200 views.
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