Thread by @NevilleSouthall

Hello all! This is @SikhPA with our 3rd takeover of @NevilleSouthall's account!

Today we're talking to you about the biggest protest in history- the #FarmersProtest!

This protest in India has hundreds of millions of farmers & labourers participating & is over 100 days old!

The biggest protest in history!? Over 100 days old?

Yes that's right! So why haven't you heard about it?

Well some of you may have, but the likes of @piersmorgan are too busy bashing #HarryandMeghan to cover the biggest protest ever, so good old Neville Southall has stepped in!

A protest in India though? Why does that matter to the mostly Brit followers of Neville Southall we hear you ask?

All will be explained with tweets about corporate influence, fascism & even @rihanna! But first let us explain a few things...

Keep RTing & checking Nev's timeline!

Firstly, who are @SikhPA? The Sikh Press Association is a news agency working between the international Sikh community and the media. We are a project of charity @everythings_13 and have been in existence since 2015.

Check out more about what we do here-

For @SikhPA followers, @NevilleSouthall is nothing to do with the town of Southall where many of you are probably reading from.

Nev is an ex-footballer regarded as one of the sport's great goalies! Nowadays he uses his status to support important issues through twitter & beyond.

For this reason, Nev has allowed us (@SikhPA) to take over his account again!

Previously we have used it for #LangarWeek to show how Sikhs feed the world through langar (Sikh communal kitchen service) and to talk about the #FreeJaggiNow campaign (read SikhPA.com/FreeJaggiNow).

So as mentioned, today we are talking #FarmersProtest.

Now because we are the SIKH Press Association, you may think this is some religious conflict. But it is NOT.

The #FarmersProtest isn't about religion. This is NOT a Sikh issue. However, it IS an issue for every single Sikh.

Why is this an issue for all Sikhs? The #FarmersProtest impacts millions of Punjabi farmers. Punjab is home to most of the world's Sikhs, most of whom live of farming.

For UK Sikhs, this means the issue is impacting our land (literally, land we own) & impacting our families.

In every country we are in, Sikhs are known for our faith practice of seva (selfless service). Sikhs are always helping communities in their time of need.

Now our own are in need it is IMPOSSIBLE for Sikhs to standby and do nothing. So this is why @SikhPA are tweeting you today!

Despite prominent Sikh involvement in the #FarmersProtest, do note this is a movement supported by people all over India and of all backgrounds. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, people of all types of political leanings, members of the LGBTQ+ community & more all support the protest!

So why are all these people protesting?

In Sept 2020 India ratified 3 new farm laws that gives more freedom to corporations in trade dealings with farmers. Farmers feel this erases their rights & will lead to their bankruptcy. See more via @savingpunjab-

instagram.com/p/CFP9GC7sS3R/…

The laws were introduced without any consultation with established farmers representative group during India’s #Covid19 lockdown. There is evidence two notorious Indian billionaires are behind the laws.

See more via educator & activist @jagjitvaheguru-

All of this led to a series of protests, peaking with 250 MILLION people taking part in a 2020 November 26 national strike to show support for the stand against the new farming laws.

But to get to the point, does this impact you in Liverpool, Cardiff or beyond? YES! Here’s how…

Many experts believe the new laws will lead to international price increases for crops & especially spices, 68% of which you use are exported from Indian farms.

Enjoy a turmeric latte? This impacts you. Like your curry? This impacts you.

Read more-
edition.cnn.com/2020/12/11/wor…

So by speaking out about the #FarmersProtest, you are not only keeping your food prices down, you are also supporting the producers of that food.

But there’s more to this issue than just food. How many of you are comfortable with our UK Govt cosying up to a fascist regime?

Post Brexit, the UK is relying on India for trade deals. For this reason, Boris Johnson’s govt seem to be not only turning a blind eye to the constant human rights abuses of the fascist Indian state, but they also now seem to be aiding them!

See example- SikhPA.com/UKSikhExtradit….

India fascist? Really? Yes! Both now & previously!

For Sikhs this was most infamously displayed during the 1984 #SikhGenocide (SikhPA.com/SikhGenocide84).

Current PM Narendra Modi was once banned from the UK for his role overseeing massacres of Muslims as head of Gujarat state.

Bringing things back to the #FarmersProtest now, see how the Indian govt implemented the laws without any semblance of a democratic process via the video below.

And this was just the beginning of their fascist behaviour against protesters!

https://twitter.com/SherePanjabUK/status/1356230617034272768

Even after 250million people protested against the new farming laws, the Indian govt refused to revoke them. So farmers from Punjab led a march to Delhi.

Along the way police beat farmers with sticks & used water cannons & tear gas against them. But the farmers marched on!

Protesters had to remove roadblocks & overcome trenches police made to make it to Delhi.

And after doing all that, they would sit down & prepare langar (Sikh communal kitchen service) & share it with the same officers that had been attacking them earlier!

https://twitter.com/Amanpreet0091/status/1332694411201839104

Having made it to Delhi, a sit-in protest began on the borders of the capital & continues to this day!

At these sites, protesters of all backgrounds have gathered & created a near utopian society only spoiled by the ugly hand of authorities causing human rights violations.

Protesters received great press for this & it shook the Indian state, so they utilised controlled press (India is 142nd in press freedom rankings) to spread lies about protesters.

Brits like renowned humanitarian @RaviSinghKA have been targeted for providing aid to protesters.

When it comes to press freedom, India Is doing it all it can to stop reporters covering the #FarmersProtest fairly.

@mandeeppunia1 was one journo arrested & tortured for exposing Delhi police shooting an unarmed protester during a protest rally in Jan-

thefederal.com/news/muzzled-d…

Much of India’s media is notoriously manically nationalist. This GREATLY influences the way these protests can be viewed in Western media. The likes of @BBCNews have been criticised for repeating Indian nationalist propaganda lines about the protesters-

thenational.scot/news/19105321.…

At Sikh PA we recognise journalists have a very hard job sourcing fair info from India. This can lead to a skewed version of events being unwittingly portrayed by some journos.

Do follow this thread for individuals & orgs we recommend you follow for info on the #FarmersProtest.

One of the most notorious actions of Indian authorities & nationalists during this period has been the arrest, torture and sexual abuse of Nodeep Kaur.

It took weeks to get her out of the clutches of the authorities that were abusing her, after her arrest at the #FarmersProtest.

Watching all of this happen from afar, the Sikh diaspora has mobilised with rallies and campaigns in countries across the world in an effort to bring attention to the issue & have govts intervene.

See images from #FarmersProtests the world over here-
instagram.com/p/CJHeiozsOo_/…

Now you remember we mentioned @rihanna at the beginning of this thread?

Have you been waiting to find out about her role in this saga? Ready?

In early Feb @rihanna tweeted what you see below. And this sent Indian nationalists BARMY!

An army of Indian nationalist bots, nationalist Bollywood elites and even so-called spiritual leaders of India began attacking her online in the most vile way.

https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1356625889602199552

But @rihanna's tweet worked (worked worked worked) in bringing a new level of attention to the issue.

Soon the likes of @GretaThunberg @meenaharris & many others were tweeting about the historic #FarmersProtest.

See how Indian nationalists reacted in the image below.

In response to the new #FarmersProtest attention, Indian media & govt outlets began spewing a crazy conspiracy theory that @rihanna & @GretaThunberg were paid off by Sikh groups to tweet against India, implicating small Canadian based group @PoeticJFdn.

thestar.com/news/canada/20…

All of this takes us into the current period of the protest. STILL hundreds of thousands of farmers, labourers, their families & other supporters of the #FarmersProtest movement remain camped on the borders of Delhi.

To date, over 250 protesters have died whilst participating.

So what have the UK govt done about it?

Well firstly, @BorisJohnson seems clueless about the biggest protest in history, despite it being relevant to the UK. When asked about it by @TanDhesi in December, Boris weirdly linked the issue to Pakistan.

theguardian.com/politics/2020/…

Just yesterday MPs spoke in a parliament debate on the #FarmersProtest. Hundreds of thousands of UK Sikhs and people of all backgrounds too have contacted their local MPs to press our govt into at least condemning the fascist actions of India.

https://twitter.com/sgsssouthall/status/1369015234774597633

People in the UK are doing whatever they can to keep focus on the #FarmersProtest. Many have families directly on the frontline in Delhi and are worried for their safety.

Why? Because police torture is normal in India, and even worse, so is people "disappearing" after arrest.

Just in the last week, @DelhiPolice arrested a TWO-YEAR-OLD as she was on a women's only bus which had flags that showed support for the #FarmersProtest, as reported by respected journalists like @amaanbali.

The level of violence shown against the protesters is worrying and life threatening. We can share examples of elderly men and women being attacked. Many that have been detained by authorities are still unaccounted for.

#FarmersProtest

https://twitter.com/SikhPA/status/1355322033224245252

So what can you do about it?

Firstly, protesters in India have mainly requested overseas supporters to simply remain vocal about it. Ensure their stand is not ignored or forgotten. So keep looking out for the hashtags #FarmersProtest & #AskIndiaWhy & share that content!

Secondly, many supporting groups are suggesting to write to your local MP and ask them to raise the situation with @DominicRaab & @BorisJohnson.

Find a template for a letter via the link below-

sikhpa.com/nothing-has-ch…

#FarmersProtest

Finally, follow these accounts for regular info on the cause and take direction accordingly!

#FarmersProtest

@sikhpa
@savingpunjab
@jagjitvaheguru
@SikhFedUK
@SCUKofficial
@PoeticJFdn
@PunYaab
@HarteerathSingh
@amaanbali
@BaazNewsOrg
@sikhexpo
@SaffronStudios

And with that, we call it a day! Thank you @ScrtDrugAddict & all the Neville Southall team for allowing us to use his platform to talk about the biggest protest in history.

Thank you once again from the @SikhPA.

#FarmersProtest