Disha Ravi was arrested by the Cyber Cell Police from Bengaluru for allegedly sharing the “toolkit” related to the ongoing farmers’ protest with Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Ravi is a college-going 22-year-old climate activist. She decided to become a climate activist after watching her grandparents, who are farmers and struggling with the effects of climate change.
This timeline will help you understand how the entire issue surrounding the young activist’s arrest has panned out so far.
September 14, 2020
The Agriculture Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 14, 2020, and passed on September 17, 2020.
These farm acts are as follows:
1. Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
2. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
3. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
November 5, 2020
In opposition to the new Agriculture Bill, more than 200 farm unions from 22 states organised a nationwide road blockade.
January 26, 2021
A tractor rally protesting against the agricultural reforms in India turned violent after protesting farmers broke via police barricades to storm Delhi’s historical Red Fort complex.
February 3, 2021
The farmers’ protest grabbed international attention when 18-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted about it.
February 4, 2021
Greta again tweeted expressing support for the farmers’ protests in India. The previous day, she deleted the first tweet about a toolkit and replaced it with another, explaining that the earlier document had been updated.
According to the activist, this toolkit “is a booklet or document created to explain a cause or issue. It identifies approaches to address the issue from the grassroots level.”
Several other international celebrities also expressed their solidarity through Twitter on the farmers’ protest.
14th February 2021
On Sunday, Police picked Disha, the activist from her house for questioning and later arrested.
What Is This Toolkit?
The document that was shared on Twitter by the activist includes various urgent actions. It further asks the reader to stand up against India’s “failing democracy (at the behest of ruling fascistic party RSS-BJP).”
The title of the article inside the document was ‘Global Farmers’ Strike – First Wave’.
The Delhi Police took to Twitter and stated that Ravi was the one who shared the toolkit document with Greta Thunberg, who had then share the toolkit to lend her support to the farmers’ agitation.
The police also said that Ravi and others “collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State.”
How Was This Toolkit Supposed To Act As A Global Conspiracy Against India?
Addressing a press conference, Special CP (Crime) Praveer Ranjan said that the Delhi Police has come across a record “toolkit” that has a motion layout to spread social disharmony in India and registered a case in opposition to its writer on the charge of criminal conspiracy, sedition and others. He said the initial probe has revealed that the ‘toolkit’ was been created by way of a pro-Khalistani organisation.
He also added that the said files uploaded on social media have an appropriate motion graph about a digital strike on or before January 26 and tweetstorms on January 23.
February 15, 2021
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, students organised a symbolic protest in support of Ravi. People from different parts of the country also took to Twitter to show solidarity with Ravi. Some have criticised the arrest while others are demanding the release of the young activist.