Disha Ravi Case: Massive Protest In Bengaluru Against Arrest; Ramachandra Guha Also Present

Hundreds of students along with a group of activists and lawyers have been protesting against the detention of 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi since Monday at the Mysore Bank Circle in Bengaluru.

She was arrested over the weekend for allegedly helping create a digital "toolkit" to help people around the world support India's protesting farmers. She was picked up by the Delhi Police from her home in Bengaluru.

ANI

Banners galore at protest

Banners at the protest site called for Disha's release and criticised the police's decision to charge her with sedition, a law first enacted by the British to suppress political dissent. "Supporting farmers is not sedition," read one banner. "Students, poets, journalists, artists...Who's left? Criminals," read another.

Protests in support of #DishaRavi
Near Mysur bank circle #Bengaluru #Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/Wlyaf4Xvot

¡ª Imran Khan (@keypadguerilla) February 15, 2021

Historian Ramachandra Guha was among the first few who arrived at the protest site at 4 pm. Speaking to TNM, he criticised the ruling BJP over the young activist's arrest.

ANI

"This arrest shows that young people with ideas and passion are being persecuted for their views. We have become a country where if you are non-violent and stand for climate change or farmers, you are arrested. On the other hand, if you violently go from door to door intimidating people to donate for the ruling party, you are free," he said.

Historian Ramachandra Guha is at the protest against the arrest of Disha Ravi in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/hmAeAyUa2M

¡ª Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) February 15, 2021

"This is the regime of our Union Home Minister. Thuggery in the name of the BJP is allowed and peaceful protests in the name of democracy, human rights and environmental sustainability is a crime," he added.

ANI

Massive support from political fraternity

Congress Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy was also among those protesting. "This is the BJP government sending a message that nobody, be it a 22-year-old activist, be it a 22-year-old woman, nobody will be spared. This is a daughter of our state. She was taken away and the due procedure was not followed. Her mother, family, colleagues are all shaken up. And it is very unfortunate. This is indirectly against anybody who speaks up against those who are ruling, the government," Sowmya Reddy said.

ANI

This comes a day after Aam Aadmi Party workers held a protest at Bandra¡¯s Carter Road demanding the release of the climate activist.

AAP protests against climate activist Disha Ravi's arrest at Mumbai's Carter Road -scores of young people attend; blames the Govt for creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among India's youth #IndiaBeingSilenced#DishaRavi pic.twitter.com/WaCglek9RB

¡ª Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) February 15, 2021

Who is she and what are the charges against her?

Disha, who heads up a local branch of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg's advocacy group, is known for her work cleaning up lakes, planting trees, and campaigning against plastic in her local area, Bengaluru.

ANI

Accused of editing the toolkit, she was detained after Thunberg tweeted a link to a document which suggested ways people in countries around the world could support India's farmer protests, including by tweeting at authorities and demonstrating outside their local Indian embassies. The toolkit was a Google document on farmers¡¯ protests.

Here¡¯s an updated toolkit by people on the ground in India if you want to help. (They removed their previous document as it was outdated.)#StandWithFarmers #FarmersProtesthttps://t.co/ZGEcMwHUNL

¡ª Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 3, 2021

Though toolkits are Google documents used to prepare a social media campaign or to plan protests and are routinely used, the Delhi police have registered an FIR under sedition and conspiracy. The police alleged that this toolkit was being used to malign India and Disha has been remanded to five days in police custody.