Greta Thunberg's Comments On Farmers' Protest 'Not A Bilateral Issue Between India & Sweden': MEA

Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) in the MEA, was asked if Thunberg's comments on the farmers' protest were taken up by India with Sweden during the meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries.

File Photo: Twitter/@GretaThunberg

New Delhi: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg's comments on the ongoing farmers' protests in India have not become a bilateral issue between India and Sweden, and the issue was not taken up during an online summit between the prime ministers of the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs informed.

The matter came up at a special briefing after the summit where Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) in the ministry, was asked if Thunberg's comments on the farmers' protest were taken up by India with Sweden during the meeting.

"The answer is no. This is not a bilateral issue between India and Sweden," Swarup answered.

After Rihanna's tweet, Greta Thunberg had taken to Twitter to say, "We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India". She had then shared "a toolkit for those who want to help".

The "toolkit" listed various ways people can join the protest, including creating a Twitter storm, protesting outside Indian embassies, to support the farmers camping at the Delhi borders.

The document, however, became a centre of controversy with the Delhi Police later registering FIRs against several people involved in creating it on the accusation of trying to tarnish India's image. Recently, the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi gained a lot of attention and was widely debated.

However, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of 41 farm unions at the forefront of the agitation, had welcomed the support extended by international personalities, calling it a matter of pride that they are being sympathetic and sensitive towards the cause of farmers adding that it was unfortunate that the central government is not understanding their pain.

The government, meanwhile, maintains that doors of negotiation are open even as the proposal to suspend the implementation of Farm laws for 18 months was rejected by the farmers' organisations.