21 year old Indian climate activist arrested for sharing Greta Thunberg’s ‘toolkit

A Delhi court on Sunday sent a 21-year-old climate activist to five days police custody in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing a “toolkit” on social media related to the farmers’ protest.

A “toolkit” is a document created to explain any issue. It also provides information on what one needs to do to address the issue. This might include information about petitions, details about protests, and mass movements.

Disha Ravi; a leader of the Indian arm of Thunberg’s Friday for Future campaign movement; was taken from her home in Bangalore on Saturday and flown to New Delhi for police interrogation for suspected sedition.

Police said Disha Ravi was a “key conspirator” in the “formulation and dissemination” of the document.
The toolkit had basic information on the farmers’ demonstrations, as well as how to join the rallies and support the movement online.
Delhi police said Ravi and her group had “shared” the toolkit with Thunberg.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it “completely atrocious!” and expressed his full solidarity with Disha. “Completely atrocious! This is unwarranted harassment and intimidation. I express my full solidarity with Disha Ravi,” the former Union Minister tweeted.

During the hearing; Ravi broke down inside the courtroom and told the judge that she had edited only two lines and that she wanted to support the farmers’ protest.

Duty Magistrate Dev Saroha allowed the Delhi Police to question Ravi for five days.

New Delhi is also involved in a tense deadlock with Twitter over demands that the social media site block hundreds of accounts the government alleges have sought to instigate unrest, including journalists, news publications, activists, and opposition politicians.
Ravi’s detention has prompted fear among activists and lawyers.

Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, said, “To accuse a young climate activist of sedition, even if it’s true that she had some part in a social media ‘toolkit’, is deeply egregious,”. “This comes at a time when those who disagree with government policy are being systematically targeted for saying so.”