Disha Ravi’s arrest marks a new low for India and Narendra Modi after the 22-year old has been accused of sedition charges for supporting farmers’ protest.
Indian authorities have arrested Disha Ravi accusing the 22-year-old climate activist for sharing ‘toolkit’ document with Greta Thunberg – a global figure and world renowned climate activist from Sweden.
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The ‘toolkit’ is in fact a social media document which elaborates any specific issue and relevant action. Disha Ravi had edited the document and then shared it with Greta Thunberg for supporting protesting farmers in Delhi.
What’s The Charge Against Disha Ravi?
Disha Ravi has been charged under notorious ‘sedition’ clauses terming the 22-year-old climate activist as a key conspirator and accusing her of inciting, influencing the clash between protesting farmers and Indian authorities on January 26th last month.
Disha was arrested from her residence in Bangalore on February 13th and was flown from to Delhi where she faces a criminal investigation under false accusations of ‘conspiracy and sedition’ against the state.
The 22-year-old has been remanded into police custody for five days.
Disha Ravi’s Innocence
Ms Ravi was presented before the court on Sunday February 14th a day earlier. Expressing her views Disha broke down in tears contending her innocence and that she has been falsely accused of fabricated charges.
She apprised that she only edited ‘two lines’ of the toolkit document shared by Greta Thunberg.
Domestic and International Condemnation
Disha Ravi’s arrest has resulted in severe domestic and international condemnation from politicians, environmental and human rights activists and intellectuals.
Coalition for Environmental Justice in India has termed Delhi Police’s actions as ‘sinister’ and Disha’s arrest as a ‘extra judicial abduction’ as not even her parents know of her whereabouts.
Meena Harris – a close relative of US Vise President Kamala Harris, has also condemned the arrest of Disha Ravi.
“Indian officials have arrested another young female activist, 21 year old Disha Ravi, because she posted a social media toolkit on how to support the farmers’ protest,” she tweeted.
This makes India look so weak, said Adam Roberts – a Chicago based correspondent for The Economist.
Disha’s arrest is alarming and the world needs to pay attention, said internationally acclaimed writer rupi kaur.
Disha Ravi’s arrest is the latest escalation in India’s crackdown on free expression and political dissent as it seeks to stifle the farmers’ mass protests, said Shashi Tharoor citing British publication Daily Telegaph.
Meanwhile Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrival has termed Disha Ravi’s arrest as an ‘unprecedented attack on democracy’.
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Farmers’ protest in India
Indian farmers have marched to Delhi, setting up camps and staging a full-fledge sit in the nation’s capital against government’s agricultural policies and laws.
Farmers are protesting against a set of three laws passed in September this year regarding de-regulation of India’s agricultural sector.
The protesting farmers have been harshly dealt by authorities who have resorted to teargas shelling and intense baton charge wounding at least hundreds of farmers.
These laws provision farmers to by-pass government-regulated markets (mandis) and sell their produce directly to buyers.
New laws allow traders to stockpile foods – a provision in utter contrast with the anti-hoarding laws around the world. Due to this, traders will be able to exploit and benefit from supply/demand variations and resulting inflation.
Agriculture sector in India employs more than 40 per cent of the country’s population and 86 percent of India’s cultivated farmland is owned by low level farmers who own less than five acres of land.
Farmers have cited fears that they don’t possess sufficient power when it comes to bargaining and this ‘de-regulation’ will result in their failure to secure decent prices, rates for their produce.
