On Saturday, the Delhi Police arrested 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi for allegedly sharing the toolkit related to the farmers’ protests against the Centre's three farm laws on social media. 

Ravi was arrested by the cybercrime unit of Delhi Police from her home in North Bengaluru. 

© TheNewsMinute_Twitter

According to the reports, a senior police officer said that this was the first arrest in connection with the ‘toolkit case’. 

What is a 'Toolkit' 

 'Toolkit' is a term activists often use for a campaign information document. 

What Did The Police Say 

Ravi, as claimed by the police force, was an editor of the 'toolkit Google doc' and 'key conspirator' in the document’s formulation and dissemination. 

The police also said that Ravi and others “collaborated with pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State.” 

Disha Ravi, arrested by CyPAD Delhi Police, is an Editor of the Toolkit Google Doc & key conspirator in document's formulation & dissemination. She started WhatsApp Group & collaborated to make the Toolkit doc. She worked closely with them to draft the Doc. @PMOIndia @HMOIndia https://t.co/e8QGkyDIVv

— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 14, 2021

In this process,they all collaborated with pro Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation to spread disaffection against the Indian State. She was the one who shared the Toolkit Doc with Greta Thunberg. @HMOIndia @LtGovDelhi @CPDelhi

— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 14, 2021 

The Delhi Police took to Twitter and stated that Ravi was the one who shared the toolkit document with Greta Thunberg, a teen climate activist, who had shared the toolkit to lend her support to the farmers’ agitation against the three farm reform laws. 

Who is Disha Ravi 

Disha Ravi is a graduate in Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru. 

She aspired to pursue a career in finance and had been vocal about environmental issues long before she graduated from Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru in 2018.

On her social media handles, she has described herself as co-founder of a group named ‘Fridays For Future India’ (FFF India). 

© Facebook

In an interview last year with US author and professor Gayle Kimball, who is compiling a book on Gen Z girl climate activists, Disha mentioned that the Friday For Future India campaign materialised largely after she came in contact with two like-minded women from Bengaluru, who were interested in the climate change campaign on the Internet. 

“All our associations were formed through the internet — Instagram and other social media. We connected through mutual friends and that is how we found each other. Most of us are women. I had not seen any of them before. Bangalore was the first but simultaneously Mumbai and Delhi started. We did not want do it in one city alone,” she said in the interview. 

FFF India currently has around 150 activists with around 20-30 in Bengaluru. With its activity being largely volunteer-oriented, there are only a few activists who are part of all activities and others are volunteers who may be part of a few events. 

© Twitter

Besides, she regularly writes columns and articles in leading news portals on climate action and is a familiar name in important climate forums frequented by youth activists across the globe.

In an interview with Auto Report Africa in 2020, Ravi spoke about how she found her passion for climate activism and said, “My motivation to join climate activism came from seeing my grandparents, who are farmers, struggle with the effects of the climate crisis.”

“At the time, I wasn’t aware that what they were experiencing was the climate crisis because climate education is non-existent where I’m from. Only when I did my research, did I find out about it,” she added. 

How Did She Get Linked To Greta Thunberg 

© Reuters

Disha’s role came under suspicion by the Delhi Police after climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeted a toolkit document which the police alleged had led to the January 26 violence in New Delhi.  

Without naming Thunberg in the FIR, the Delhi Police went ahead to register the case against the authors of the toolkit.

View the full article