Groundxero News Report | February 23, 2021
On 23 February 2021, a young climate activist Disha Ravi, who was booked under sedition charges and imprisoned, got bail. The Sessions court in Delhi observed that the police investigation in the case was ‘scanty and sketchy’. It is important to note what the court has added in its observation — “Citizens are conscience keepers of the government. They cannot be jailed simply because they choose to disagree with the state policies” and “Investigating agency can’t be permitted to further restrict the liberty of citizens on the basis of propitious anticipations.”
This is not the first time that the Indian chapter of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg’s organization Fridays For Future (FFF) has been attacked by the government of India. It faced charges under the draconian anti-terrorist UAPA (which was eventually withdrawn) when they mass emailed against the anti-environment reforms in EIA rules. This time Disha Ravi, a student environment activist aged 22, got booked for sedition, just for exercising her constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression by sharing a ‘toolkit’ in support of the ongoing farmers’ struggle.
The controversial toolkit related to her arrest was nothing but a document key to digital-era protests’ and is equivalent to pamphlets and fliers that are used by the protestors on the streets. The toolkit was related to the farmer’s movement and like Greta and Disha, FFF too extended solidarity and support to the ongoing farmer’s movement.
On 23 February, a mass protest was organized in Kolkata against her arrest. The protest call was given by FFF and many individuals and student-youth organizations joined the protest demonstration. This protest was to raise voices for Disha and for all those unheard names that unfortunately do not surface.
Fridays For Future (West Bengal), a few concerned citizens and several members of student organisations, namely, ISU, AISA, AIDSO, RSF and PDSF later went to submit a deputation to the Governor. They carried banners which read – “We all are ‘Disha Ravi’. Arrest us all!” They did not get to meet the Governor but they were able to get the deputation sealed.
It was during the end of the demonstration when they got the news that Disha has got bail. As Brishti Chanda, Coordinator FFF, West Bengal pointed out, “We are, of course, elated, however, we’ll continue to raise our voice for all other environmental, social and political activists that are still behind the bars, for no fault of their own and in fact, for exercising their constitutional right to voice their opinions. Let Disha’s fight and story act as an eye opener and show us how the state terrorizes its own citizens to serve a handful of rich people and multinational corporates.”