The bail of environmental activist Disha Ravi comes as a relief to those who support the farmers’ agitation. Disha Ravi was arrested for designing a toolkit shared on Twitter by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunbe in connection with the farmers’ agitation. While considering the bail plea, the court asked the Delhi Police what was the direct link between the toolkit supporting the agrarian agitation and the Republic Day clashes.
The Delhi Police has alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the design of the toolkit by Disha and other environmental activists. She was arrested on charges of treason for plotting against the central government. According to the police, any agitation against the government can be prosecuted for treason.
A lot of planning in involved before any agitation is launched. The same was true of the farmers’ agitation. Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and other states did not come directly to Delhi for agitation immediately after the passage of the controversial farm laws. The agitation spread to Delhi after a series of protests in their home states. With that, the agitation became planned and organised.
The toolkit, which was designed for a pro-agitation campaign, was also used for planning. It should not be misunderstood that there are idiots in the Delhi Police who do not realise that planning and conspiracy are two different things. The Delhi Police moved swiftly to imprison Disha Ravi on charges of treason, adding to the plot.
Treason is a weapon repeatedly used by the BJP-led central government to divert attention from criticism and protests against wrongdoing. With repeated usage, it has become difficult to identify which crime falls under the category of treason and which does not. Protesters against the government are now seen as traitors. Things have come to the point where patriotism means devotion to Modi. The Sangh Parivar is now propagating the bizarre logic that criticising Modi means sedition.
“If it is treason to campaign for the farmers’ movement internationally, then it would be better for me to stay in jail,” Disha Ravi told a Delhi court. These words will have to be repeated in a different way by those who believe in a democratic country in different contexts. According to this logic, jails would always be the right place for environmentalists and philanthropists like Medha Patkar and Yogendra Yadav.
The arrest of Disha Ravi and the manner in which the Delhi Police handled the toolkit controversy is a warning to us by the anti-democratic government. The growing anti-democratic tendencies in the country are a sign that anyone who is opposed to the BJP-led government can be sure of unexpected arrests and legal action such as the one faced by Disha Ravi.
