Decoding the Tweetosphere: Analyzing Public Perceptions on the Repeal of Indian Farmer Bills 2020/2021

Abstract

This study analyses sentiments expressed on Twitter following the repeal of the Farmer Bills 2020/2021 in India, aiming to understand the role of social media during crises and its capacity to promote or endorse specific views. Using content analysis of 14,444 tweets collected from verified and non-verified accounts across nine relevant hashtags, the data were pre-processed through transformation, tokenisation, filtering, and normalisation, and analysed with the VADER Sentiment Module of Orange Software. The findings reveal trends in tweet counts and sentiment over 12 days, showing an initial surge followed by a gradual decline in activity, with most tweets conveying positive sentiments supportive of the farmer protests and the repeal of the laws. The study underscores Twitter’s role in shaping public opinion and disseminating information, while acknowledging limitations related to reliance on Twitter data and the defined timeframe. Its originality lies in providing insights into public perceptions and reactions to legislative changes following the repeal.