Tuesday Brief

For last few days, there is one name which is in headlines and that is Disha Ravi, and one  term which was earlier unknown to common man which also got very famous is Toolkit . Now in technical language the definition of Toolkit is: single utility program, a set of software routines or a complete integrated set of software utilities that are used to develop and maintain applications and databases. There are toolkits for developing almost anything.

Now what is case against Disha Ravi, and why she was arrested by Delhi police two days back. A Delhi court later  sent her to 5 days police custody. She has been accused of distributing the toolkit which was later used by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

On 5^th February 2021, a google document, called a “toolkit” shared by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit headlines. After that, the Delhi Police asked Google and some other social media giants to provide information about email IDs, URLs and certain social media accounts related to the document’s creators.

In this case Disha  Ravi had created the toolkit document, and  the same was shared by Greta Thunberg to farmers protests in the national capital .“This is a document meant to enable anyone unfamiliar with the ongoing farmers protests in India to better understand the situation and make decisions on how to support the farmers based on their own analysis,” the toolkit states.

The toolkit then goes on to apparently summarise the situation of farmers in India and talks about the Centre’s recent agriculture legislations.

“Instead of being supported to become self-reliant and prosperous, a majority of farmers are increasingly being subjected to the control of large corporations and international institutions whose sole focus is profits, and necessarily involves increased exploitation of nature,” the toolkit states.

It further lists out what actions one can take to support the farmers’ protests and the Delhi Police is currently trying to ascertain who created it.

Now what is the role of Disha Ravi in this issue-  She is an editor of toolkit google document and she is being accused of being a main conspirator in documentation’s formulation & dissemination. She started a WhatsApp group and collabrated to make the toolkit document. As per police, in the process of drafting the document, Disha and other members of the group all collolborated with Pro Khalistani Poetic Justice foundation (PJF) to spread dis affection against India.

Now PJF is alleged to be a pro Khalistani outfit, which is 11 months old and was formed in 2020. The outfit’s website says-we develop content and events  to provoke, challenge and disrupt systemic inequities and biases. We create safe spaces for exploration, learning and healing to foster social change. Our goal is to educate, organize and mobilize people to achieve and protect equal rights in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Currently, we are most actively involved in the # FarmersProtest The outfit’s website says: “We develop content, workshops and events that has activated Indian diaspora worldwide as a rebuke to India’s oppressive policies towards farmers.”

Actually Disha is one of the founders of the “Fridays for Future (FFF) campaign in India. It is a global climate strike movement that commenced in Aug 2018, when 15 year old Greta Thunberg began a school strike for climate, ans asked fellow students to skip Friday’s classes to participate in demonstrations to demand action from politcal leaders to take action to prevent climate change and encourage fossil fuel industry to switch over to renewable energy. She is presently working as culinary experience manager with company that produces plant based food.

The Cyber Cell of Delhi police has already lodges an FIR against unnamed ‘pro khalistani’ creators of this toolkit for waging a social, cultural and economic war against the Indian govt.

There have been widespread  ourage over her arrest. Delhi police has gone ahead and obtained non bailable warrants against two more people linked to this toolkit case and they are Nikita Jacob and Shantanu. Police is saying  that the duo was allegedly involved in preparing the document and was in direct touch with pro Khalistani elements. As per police Nikita was  directly in touch with Khalistani elements and attended a Zoom meeting with them recently.

It is not certain, what other people may be involved in this issue but one thing is certain that the govt is becoming very strict with these types of elements. Other thing is that on the pretext of freedom of speech and expression, people who are misusing the same for spreading the hatred and fake news will not be spared now. All the political parties, who are with anti Modi govt brigade, are to be really take caution before spreading the fake news in te social media. I do not know, if any of the people who are protesting against farm laws have actually read these laws. They just wants to create some sort of  anti govt propaganda.

We will have to wait and watch about further development in this matter.

Waiting for your comments and views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

16^th February 2021