February 16, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

A young climate activist, also the founder of Fridays For Future India, Disha Ravi was arrested on February 13 after she posted information on a WhatsApp group in support of the farmers' protests. Ravi, in her early 20s, was accused by Delhi police of collaborating key documents to encourage others to carry out physical protests and social media storms against the Indian State.

The controversy of a toolkit (document) tweeted by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has updated Ravi's information which unfolded events about Indian farmers' protests and other street protests on January 26, India's Republic Day. The farmers rallied more than 18,000 tractors to protest against the government's new agriculture laws on the outskirts of Delhi. Delhi police assumed the toolkit to be a call for violence. On February 15 arrest warrants were issued for two more climate activists, Nikita Jacob and Shantanu, accused of allegedly owning the toolkit.

Thunberg's toolkit on farmers' protests has created uproar abroad. Many celebrities, including international singer Rihanna, shared their support of Indian farmers and urged the release of Ravi and other young climate activists. However, Indian politicians or officials from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) showed anger and criticized the foreign celebrities’ mobilizing “international support against India”.

Photo:Webshot.