Mumbai: Stand-up comic and late night show host Trevor Noah is the latest international personality from the entertainment industry to highlight the ongoing farmers’ agitation. Through his popular TV programme ‘The Daily Show’, the Emmy-winning Trevor Noah explained the origins of the farmers’ protests. He also talked about their demands and the subsequent global support the agitation has received.
A tweet February 2 by pop star Rihanna triggered a wave of support for the protesting farmers. A number of global personalities, activists and politicians voiced their support for the protesting farmers.
“Why are India’s farmers protesting? The government tried to change the decades-old agriculture laws and that’s when the manure hit the fan,” Noah tweeted. He also shared a video link.
See video: https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1359487783581020161
The show has a segment ‘If you don’t know, now you know’. It ran over eight minutes. In it the 36-year-old South African comic pieced together news clippings to provide a holistic view of the protest. The video clip also mentioned the burning of effigies of Rihanna and Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. The two had supported the protesting farmers.
Also read: Who are Rihanna, Greta Thunberg asks BKU leader Rakesh Tikait
Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders since November. They are demanding the repeal of three new agriculture laws. They say the laws will end the minimum support price (MSP) based procurement of crops like wheat and paddy by the government and usher in big corporates into the farm sector. The farmers’ unions have rejected the government’s offer to suspend the reforms for 18 months. They have not joined talks after 11 rounds of discussions ended last month.
Noah basically delivers satirical news related to the international and American political matters in an entertaining way on ‘The Daily Show’. He said the Indian government has decided that they’ve had ‘enough’ of the protest because this is ‘a major crackdown’.
“Maybe they think postponing the law will satisfy the farmers. But think about it. In 18 months, people will be in the same position that they are in now. And the protests will happen all over again… But this crackdown shows you how worried the government must be about the protest. And honestly they should be, because it’s clear that these farmers are digging in for the long haul,” Noah said in the video.
Meena Harris, an American lawyer and niece of US Vice-President Kamala Harris and Hollywood veteran Susan Sarandon are the voices who are supporting the farmers. Former adult star Mia Khalifa has also lent here support to the protesting farmers.