‘TRP-Hungry’ Television Media Pronounced Me Guilty: Disha Ravi

Bengaluru: Climate activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested by Delhi Police in the toolkit docs case before being granted bail, said on Saturday that last month’s events violated her autonomy and she was pronounced guilty not by a court, but by “TRP-hungry” television media.

In a four-page statement, the 22-year-old Disha explained in detail why she has been a climate activist and backing the farmers’ protest. She stated that her grandparents, who are farmers, inspired her climate activism.

“I had to bear witness to how the water crisis affected them, but my work was reduced to tree plantation drives and clean-ups which are important but not the same as struggling for survival,” she said in the statement.

Disha was arrested on February 13 from her home near Bengaluru in connection with an online document or toolkit tweeted by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg which supported the ongoing farmers’ protest. She was released on bail 10 days later.

“I had coerced myself into believing that the only way I would be able to live through this was by tricking myself into thinking that this wasn’t happening to me — the police did not knock on my door on 13 February, 2021; they did not take my phone and laptop, and arrest me; they did not present me at Patiala House Court; the media personnel were not trying to find a place inside the room,” Disha stated.

“As I stood in that courtroom, desperately searching for my lawyers, I came to terms with the fact that I would have to defend myself. I had no idea whether there was legal assistance available so when the judge asked me if I have anything to say, I decided to speak my mind. Before I knew it, I was sent to 5 days in police custody,” she added.

Slamming the television media, Disha wrote: “It’s no surprise that in the days that followed, my autonomy was violated; my photographs were splashed all over the news; my actions were pronounced guilty — not in the court of law, but on flat screens by seekers of TRPs. I sat there, unaware of the many abstractions made of me in order to satiate their idea of me.”

Also Read: Toolkit Case: Greta Thunberg Extends Support To Jailed Activist Disha Ravi