Greta Thunberg: Who is she and why is she trending in India?

Pic Courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has gone viral again after she tweeted in support of India’s farmers’ protest. The 18-year-old environmentalist took to Twitter on Tuesday (February 2) and wrote, “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India.”

Greta’s tweet came soon after international pop star Rihanna tweeted in support of the farmers sharing an article and asked, “Why aren't we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest.”
The activist also shared a document, which she later deleted, that included a toolkit titled "#ASKINDIAWHY Global Farmers Strike First Wave. Will you be part of the largest protest in Human History?"

Who is Greta Thunberg?

In August 2018, Greta Thunberg initiated a global movement by skipping school. She spent her days in front of the Swedish Parliament, holding a sign that read “School Strike for Climate.” The movement soon got internationally recognized as Fridays for Future (FFF), Youth for Climate, Climate Strike or Youth Strike for Climate. 

Since her school skipping days, Greta has addressed heads of state at the UN, given speeches at public forums, sparred with the former President of the United States Donald Trump and much more.

At 16, Greta had attended the UN's Climate Action Summit, where her impassioned speech moved millions across the world.

"My message is that we'll be watching you,” the activist said.

Greta asserted, "This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!”

She added, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

This speech led to Greta’s soaring popularity worldwide and made her a known face.

Greta, who has Asperger's syndrome, was Time’s Person of the Year 2019. 

Many movies have been made on Thunberg, including the 2020 documentary ‘I Am Greta’, directed by Nathan Grossman.

Greta Thunberg is a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, along with Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization (WHO) and voting rights activist and politician Stacey Abrams. 

Born on January 3, 2003 in in Stockholm, Sweden, Greta is the daughter of opera singer Malena Ernman and actor Svante Thunberg.