Mumbai: Actor Sonakshi Sinha continued to bat for the protesting farmers on Delhi borders. Sonakshi Sinha has narrated a heartfelt poem, describing it as a ‘tribute to the hands that feed us’. The 33-year-old actor had first expressed solidarity with the farmers last week. She shared a video on Instagram to share her thoughts about the protesting farmers.
The one minute 19 second-long clip captures the visuals of the distressed farmers. According to Sonakshi, the Hindi poem was penned by Varad Bhatnagar. The video was shot and conceptualised by Gursanjam Singh Puri.
“Nazarein milake, khud se poocho – kyun? A tribute to the hands that feed us… A beautiful poem written by @varadbhatnagar. Shot and conceptualized by @gursanjam.S.Puri and narrated by me. #farmersprotest (sic),” Sonakshi captioned the post.
See video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLG5-yfJhAd/
“Why? Everybody is asking this question. Why have we got down on the roads? Leaving behind the fields, why have we stepped into these cities? These hands that would once plow the fields why have we now got into this politics?” Sonakshi asks as she recites the poem in the video.
Sonakshi further questioned why the elders and children, who are out on the roads to protest, are labelled as rioters. “Do they look like rioters? Why? Can’t they all ask for their own rights? Why? Everyone enjoys the meal that we all have, can’t we all stand for them? Why? Ask yourself, why?” the actor asks as she urges people to show solidarity with the farmers.
Sonakshi first voiced her views on the ongoing agitation after international pop singer Rihanna drew attention to the protests via her now viral tweet.
“Why aren’t we talking about this? #FarmersProtest,” Rihanna wrote February 2 as she shared a CNN news report. It was headlined, ‘India cuts internet around New Delhi as protesting farmers clash with police’.
Days after Rihanna’s tweet, Sonakshi shared quotes on her Instagram Stories from a page called ‘storysellers comics’. She said the voices raised by international celebrities are ‘about the violation of human rights, suppression of free internet and expression, state propaganda, hate speech, and abuse of power’.
Last week, the government had criticised the tweets by Rihanna and other international celebrities. They said facts must be ascertained before people rushing to comment on the issue. They called the tweets ‘neither accurate nor responsible’.
One of the stories on Sonakshi’s profile also dismissed the argument that it was India’s internal matter. She said, ‘these are not alien species but fellow humans who are speaking up for the rights of other humans’.
The Dabangg actor is among few celebrities from Bollywood including Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, Swara Bhasker, Ali Fazal, Sushant Singh, among others, who have been actively participating in the discourse around the farm bills.