"Why aren’t we talking about this?!" Rihanna said in a Twitter post, sharing a CNN article on the demonstrations with her 100.9 million followers on the platform, using the hashtag #FarmersProtest. Rihanna’s surprise backing was welcomed by the farmers and their worldwide supporters, who took to social media to show that the farmers' struggle in India had got a big boost from an international celebrity, hoping to force the Indian government to relent and take back the regressive new farm laws.

NEW DELHI -- International pop superstar Rihanna created a flutter in India on Tuesday by wading into months-long farmer protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agricultural reforms.

"Why aren’t we talking about this?!" Rihanna said in a Twitter post, sharing a CNN article on the demonstrations with her 100.9 million followers on the platform, using the hashtag #FarmersProtest.

Rihanna’s surprise backing was welcomed by the farmers and their worldwide supporters, who took to social media to show that the farmers struggle in India had got big boost from an international celebrity, hoping to force the Indian government to relent and take back the regressive new farm laws.

Tens of thousands of young and old farmers have blocked roads leading into New Delhi for more than two months. A tractor rally by farmers last week in New Delhi turned violent. Police responded by shutting down the internet, digging ditches, driving nails into roads and topping barricades with razor wire to prevent farmers from entering the capital again, reported Reuters.

It was not immediately clear what led Rihanna, whose songs have done well in India, to suddenly tweet on the subject.

The tweet sent the singer trending on Twitter with thousands of positive responses and also some negative including one from the usual mentally unstable actor Kangana Ranaut, an ardent supporter of the ruling BJP who has called the farmers terrorists and has received much blow back from the farmers supporters. 

The protests are led by turban-wearing Sikh farmers from the wheat and rice-growing state of Punjab in India's north. The close-knit community, which is spread around the world, has also organized protests in Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States.

Sikh Coalition, a New York-based rights group, thanked Rihanna for casting more international spotlight on the subject.

"For over a week, the Indian government has been suspending internet services around #FarmersProtest sites in a clear affront to the freedom of speech," it said on Twitter. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Internet services in the Delhi border areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri - epicentres of the farmers' months-long protest against the centre's agriculture laws - were suspended on Saturday and the shutdown has been extended twice to be in force till at least 5 pm Wednesday.

The order by the Home Ministry had come over the weekend, days after sections of a tractor parade in Delhi by farmers on Republic Day strayed from agreed routes, triggering clashes with the police that left dozens injured and one protester dead.

Following the violence last week, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered the removal of protesters from Ghazipur - which lies on the Delhi-UP border. They were ordered to leave by Thursday night.

Authorities have also dug up roads, erected massive, multi-layered barricades at several places to block farmers from reaching the heart of Delhi again.

However, they refused to budge and demonstrations grew after a tearful outburst by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait who claimed he was "ready to face bullets" if needed.

Hundreds of farmers across India have been protesting since September demanding the centre repeal laws they say will leave them at the mercy of large corporate firms.

In November, they had to fight pitched battles with the police in BJP-ruled Haryana who tried to stop them from bringing the demonstration to Delhi.

The crackdown has triggered condemnation at home and abroad including from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Rihanna also tweeted about the coup in Myanmar on Tuesday, highlighting a post by Human Rights Watch and writing, "my prayers are with you #myanmar!"