Navkiran Natt, who was originally trained as a dentist and has a degree in film studies, is an activist who is involved in the current farmers' movement against three new, highly controversial agricultural laws in India. She actively participates in protests on the ground and co-edits Trolley Times, a creative multilingual newsletter by and for the movement.
In this conversation, Dr. Fritzi-Marie Titzmann, postdoctoral fellow of the RePLITO project at Humboldt University in Berlin, talks with Navkiran Natt about the current scenario of the farmers' protest, the motivation for her own activism, and especially the media practices she uses to circulate information about and solidarity with the movement.
Navkiran Natt describes the social dynamics of the physical protest sites as marked by mutual solidarity and community spirit that can serve as a model of peaceful human coexistence. In this, they also bear resemblance to neglected and marginalized repertoires of living together. In the context of social movements such as the ongoing Indian farmers’ protest, mediatized expressions of solidarity have the ability to enhance and transnationally circulate this experience of togetherness characterized by acceptance and support.