'Toolkit' sparks controversy

Disha Ravi, a climate activist, was charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy and sent to five-day police custody on Sunday, after sharing a ‘toolkit’ initially posted by Greta Thunberg on the internet. A ‘toolkit’ in this case is a document that gives a gist of the farmer protests as well as provides donation links and further reading material. Pro government citizens claim that the toolkit was a global conspiracy against India and was modified by Disha’s associate (Mo Dhaliwal) who was a part of the “pro-Khalistani Poetic Justice Foundation (PFJ)”. The toolkit aimed to inform people and spread awareness about the injustices in India and Ravi merely edited this document. Disha was charged under extremely uncertain grounds. Being associated with a member of the PFJ led her to being arrested which sparked confusion all over the world. India, the world’s biggest democracy, is being rightly criticised for convicting Disha for sharing her opinion. The way in which the government has demonised the farmer protests as well as its supporters brings to light how the government operates under a guise of justice but disregards the right to freedom of speech that every citizen possesses.