Why Fresno was trending on Twitter. Rihanna, Mayor Dyer and India are connected

Add two prominent Fresno politicians to a growing bandwagon backing farm-related protests in India.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, expressed support for India farmers upset over controversial agricultural laws imposed by India’s government, a cause that also has drawn the interest of celebrities such as Rihanna and Susan Sarandon.

Thousands of India farmers and their supporters have continued to gather around the country’s capital of Delhi, demanding the repeal of three recently passed agricultural laws that they believe prioritize corporate interests over what’s best for the farming community.

And with the central San Joaquin Valley boasting a significant number of Sikh communities and people from the Punjab region who have relatives in India, the events on the other side of the world have taken an emotional toll among some in the Fresno area.

Especially after months of peaceful protests recently led to moments of violence.

The Indian government’s treatment of protesters, meanwhile, has prompted questions of whether human rights are being violated. There have been reports that water and electricity were cut off and internet access restricted, and that police fortified barbed wire and other barriers around the demonstrations.

“We as Americans always stand up for human rights, and I think more people in the United States are starting to see some of the oppression happening in India,” said Fresno resident Gurdeep Singh Shergill, an activist for the Punjabi-Sikh community in the central San Joaquin Valley.

“This started as corporations versus farming and it’s become about the government versus its own people. I think people in the agricultural-rich places like Fresno can see how what’s happening in India is relatable.”

Fresno politicians express support

Having listened to constituents affected by the farming laws and the protests, both Dyer and Costa chimed in last week with the hope it would encourage support and awareness.

Dyer’s message was captured on video, and caused “Fresno” to trend worldwide on Twitter.

“This is Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer and I’m coming to you from the agricultural capital of the world — Fresno County,” Dyer says in the video. “Right here in the Valley, we understand the importance of farming and agriculture.

“And we want you to know that our brothers and sisters in India, we stand with you as you stand against the unfair government interference against all of you. We want you to know that you’re not alone.”

Costa, who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he is closely monitoring the situation in India.

The congressman said he and five other members of the India caucus — a bipartisan coalition that brings national attention to domestic and international issues that affect U.S. economies and security — wrote a letter to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage the government to reach a compromise.

“The changes that have been proposed by the Indian government has brought great concern by the Indian people,” Costa said. “The right to peaceful protest must always be respected.

“From the world’s oldest democracy, the United States, to the world’s largest democracy, India ... one of those rights that we feel strongly about is not only our freedom of speech but our freedom to express our speech in peaceful ways.”

In addition, the California Farm Bureau offered its support to the cause.

“California Farm Bureau represents a diverse set of all farmers in our state, including Sikh farmers, and stands with you in your efforts to protect the livelihood and nourishment of the communities around you,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said in a statement released Dec. 23. “We remain hopeful that Indian farmers will be heard by the Indian government and can find a productive path forward that benefits India’s agriculture sector.”

Celebrity support followed by backlash

The recent public backing by the Fresno politicians occurred just as Rihanna and other global activists including Swedish environmental advocate Greta Thunberg tweeted about the ongoing India protests.

The celebrity support has been welcomed by the farmers, while many Bollywood stars have stayed silent on the matter.

“Why aren’t we talking about this,” the singer tweeted to her 100 million Twitter followers Tuesday while sharing a link about the India protests.

Both Rihanna and Thunberg, however, have faced backlash.

India’s foreign ministry, without specifically mentioning any individuals, condemned “vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them” and added that “the temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.”

Thunberg fired back.

“I still stand with farmers and support their peaceful protest,” Thunberg tweeted. “No amount of hate, threats or violations of human rights will ever change that.”

It is unclear if Dyer or Costa received criticism for their support.

Why are India farmers protesting?

With agriculture the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population of 1.3 billion people, the new farming laws that attempt to reshape farming in the country caused a massive uproar.

CNN reported that the Indian government for decades has provided guaranteed prices to farmers for certain crops, which allowed them to make investments for the next crop cycle.

Under the new rules, farmers could sell their crops to anyone for any price. That would minimize the government’s role in agriculture and give farmers more freedom to do things such as sell directly to buyers and other states.

But farmers fear the new laws will make things worse in the long run, as they face the possibility of selling crops for less while big ag interests drive down the prices.

In addition, farmers believe the removal of state protections would leave them at the mercy of greedy corporations, according to The New York Times.

“What they’re trying to do is slowly take the lands away from these people,” said Fresno resident Sonia Kaur Shergill, who grew up in India and has family members involved in farming in India. Sonia is the wife of local Punjabi-Sikh activist Gurdeep Singh Shergill.

It also didn’t help that Modi rushed the three major agriculture bills through Parliament in September without input from key farming groups, according to foreignpolicy.com.

“The government is saying these laws are good,” Gurdeep said. “But the farmers are saying ‘We don’t want them.’”

Peaceful protests turns violent

Since late November, thousands of farmers have protested in Delhi, demanding a complete repeal of the new laws.

Protesters have come equipped with months’ worth of food supplies and tents, and blocked major highways in the country’s capital.

“This is the biggest peaceful protest ever to happen in India,” Gurdeep said.

But on Jan. 26, the demonstration turned violent with one person dying and several protesters and police officers injured, according to India Today.

Some protesters used tractors to remove police barricades.

Police, meanwhile, fired tear gas into the crowd and used batons to beat protesters and push them back.

Protesters claim the man who died was shot by officers but police said he was killed when his tractor overturned, The New York Times reported.

The Indian government temporarily suspended internet access in areas of the ongoing protests.

Nonetheless, protesters have remained in the city and peaceful demonstrations resumed.

“Corporate greed and exploitation knows no bounds, not only in the U.S. but worldwide,” tweeted Sarandon, an actress well known for her activism on climate and progressive issues. “While they work with (corporate) media and politicians to silence the most vulnerable, we must let India’s leaders know the world is watching and we #StandWithFamers!”

This story was originally published February 6, 2021 at 6:27 PM.