BENGALURU: Indian opposition politicians and activists on Monday condemned the arrest of a 22-year-old climate activist after she was accused of helping disseminate a document by Greta Thunberg promoting farmer protests.
Police picked up Disha Ravi from her home in Bengaluru and took her to Delhi for questioning over her alleged role in disseminating the document in the months-long protest outside the Indian capital.
A Delhi police source said that Ravi had been arrested in connection with a sedition case against the alleged authors of the “toolkit” on how to help the farmers. Sedition carries a penalty of life imprisonment in India.
On Sunday, a court ordered Ravi into custody for questioning for five days, prompting outrage on social media and among the farm unions.
“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, a member of parliament from the main opposition Congress party.
DishaRavi’s arrest is the latest escalation in India’s crackdown on free expression&political dissent as it seeks2stifle the farmers’ mass protests, says the @dailytelegraph UK. Doesn’t GoI care about the damage it’s doing to its own global image? https://t.co/TILH9XKYkg
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 14, 2021
Ravi could not be reached in custody and her family was not immediately available for comment.
Police have been cracking down on the farmer protests, centred on the outskirts of Delhi, after thousands stormed the iconic Red Fort on India’s Republic Day last month.
Activists planned protests against Ravi’s detention across the country and the hashtag #IndiabeingSilenced was trending on Twitter.
Ravi is one of the leaders of the Indian arm of Thunberg’s Fridays for Future campaign movement. The Swedish teenager had shared a “toolkit” for people who wanted to help the farmers and said it had been created by those on the ground at the demonstrations.
The protests against farm reforms have drawn international support with pop star Rihanna and Meena Harris, a niece of US Vice-President Kamala Harris and activist, drawing attention to the months-long campaign.
On Sunday, Meena Harris noted Ravi’s arrest and pointed to a Twitter thread on activists being targeted in India.
Indian officials have arrested another young female activist, 21 yo Disha Ravi, because she posted a social media toolkit on how to support the farmers’ protest. Read this thread about the sequence of events and ask why activists are being targeted and silenced by the government. https://t.co/ycUgDEqwdF
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) February 14, 2021
India’s government says the reforms are meant to modernise India’s antiquated agriculture produce markets and blame vested interests and outsiders for misleading the farmers.
Why IK is dancing on this issue? 😁