The Super Bowl has been popular for its advertisements broadcasted in U.S. Television when featuring the National Football League championship. This year, one of the 30-second commercials was on the farmer’s protests in India, calling it the “largest protest in history.”
The advertisement was sponsored by the Sikh Community of Fresno, a city located in Central California. The Kisan Ekta Morcha handle, which is the official voice of the protesters tweeted their appreciation to the Fresno City community. The 30-second promotion cost $5.5 million, and last year’s viewership of the championship was approximately 100 million.
Fresno City community put that ad during the Super Bowl. This is great work by community to aware people regarding Farmers Protest. Thank you Fresno Sikh Community. #FarmersProtest #ReleaseDetainedFarmers pic.twitter.com/S81A9x49ut
— Kisan Ekta Morcha (@kisanektamorcha) February 8, 2021
The commercial commences with Martin Luther King quoting, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Images from the farmers’ tractor parade and their border camps are layered with script claiming human rights violations against protesters. Punjabi music can be heard as “No Farmers, No Food, No Future” appears on the screen.
It also includes a message from Fresno mayor Jerry Dyer, “We want you to know, our brothers and sisters in India, that we stand with you,” he says. Fresno has a large Sikh population, as high as 40,000, according to some local reports. Pop music icon Rihanna’s viral tweet on the protests also gets a mention.
After tweets from the pop-star Rihanna, environmental activist Greta Thunberg the farmer’s protest gained traction internationally. The Ministry of External Affairs reproached them in an official statement saying, “The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible.”
