Six days after the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi from her residence in Bengaluru, international climate activist Greta Thunberg has reacted to the arrest. Extending her solidarity with Disha Ravi, Greta said that an individual’s rights to freedom of speech, peaceful protest and assembly are non-negotiable.
"Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest and assembly are non-negotiable human rights. These must be a fundamental part of any democracy," Greta tweeted on Friday with the hashtag ‘StandWithDishaRavi’.
Greta’s response came shortly after the India chapter of Fridays for Future (FFF), a global movement inspired by her, expressed solidarity with Disha. The 22-year-old climate activist based in Bengaluru was a volunteer with FFF, and helped organise events in the city. FFF India called Disha an integral part of their movement. “As fellow volunteers we wouldn't stand back to say that she is one of the finest amongst us all. If there is one thing her activism has taught us, it is to raise our voices peacefully and respectfully for those at stake, to ensure justice for everyone,” the statement read.
Disha Ravi was arrested from her house in Bengaluru on February 13 by Delhi Police, in connection with the case filed by them over the 'toolkit' or the Google document on farmers' protests. The toolkit or the online document was shared by Greta Thunberg with outdated dates and was later deleted and replaced with one containing newer dates.
It is to be noted that toolkits are nothing but Google Docs or Word documents often used to organise a social media campaign or to plan protests. A toolkit contains basic information on any issue, tweet suggestions and information on what hashtags to use, whom to tag on social media, etc. These documents are regularly used by various individuals and groups, including political parties, to organise social media campaigns and mobilise crowds.
The Delhi police have come under criticism for arresting Disha from her house in Bengaluru and shifting her to Delhi without a transit warrant. Disha also approached the Delhi High Court saying that she was aggrieved by selective leaks by the police to the media, based on which the HC has sent notices to three English channels and asked for the police’s response.
Disha was on Friday sent to three days judicial custody by a Delhi court. Disha has already spent five days in police custody.
Home Minister Amit Shah however justified the arrest and said that age, gender etc are irrelevant during an arrest. The Delhi police has said that the Google document was started by Khalistani supporters including the Poetic Justice Foundation in Canada with an intention to malign and target India.