Dissent being strangled in name of sedition: Kamal Haasan condemns Disha's arrest

Two days after the arrest of 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi, actor-politician Kamal Haasan tweeted in support of the young activist. Kamal on Tuesday said that it was a shame that clamping down on voices of dissent, a practice that was common during colonial rule, continues to be in practice even today. “It is shocking that a college student environmental activist Disha Ravi has been arrested. To strangle dissent in the name of sedition is against the principles of freedom of expression guaranteed by democracy,” Kamal’s tweet reads.

கல்லூரி மாணவி, சூழியல் அக்கறையாளர் திஷா ரவியை கடுமையான வழக்குகளில் கைது செய்திருப்பது அதிர்ச்சியளிக்கிறது.
தேசதுரோகம் எனும் பெயரில் மாற்றுக்கருத்துக்களின் குரல்வளையை நெரிப்பது, ஜனநாயகம் அளித்திருக்கிற கருத்துரிமைக்கு எதிரான கொடுஞ்செயல்.

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 16, 2021

“It is a British-era atrocity to threaten students who raise their voices for public good. It is a shame that it is still in practice. There must be a general debate on this threatening law,” he added.

Kamal also added students should not bow down to political oppression. “Politics must not create an adverse impact on students. It is only fair to have students' impact on politics. Our students should be brave enough to not bow down to oppressive measures and must work towards ending this authoritarianism,” he tweeted.

மாணவர்களின் மீது அரசியல் எதிர்மறைத் தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தக் கூடாது. மாணவர்களின் தாக்கம் அரசியலில் இருப்பதே நியாயம். அடக்குமுறைகளுக்கு அடிபணியாத நெஞ்சுரத்துடன் நமது மாணவர்கள் இந்த சர்வாதிகாரத்திற்கு முடிவு கட்ட வேண்டும்.

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 16, 2021

22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi was arrested from her Bengaluru home by the Delhi police on Saturday. Among those who extended their support to Disha are actors Siddharth, actor and politician Prakash Raj, singer and activist TM Krishna and singer Chinmayi, to name a few.

Disha has been accused by the Delhi police of “sharing” and “spreading” a ‘toolkit’ related to the farmers’ protest that was posted by international climate activist Greta Thunberg. The FIR has been filed under sections of sedition and conspiracy. Toolkits are essentially Google documents circulated with social media campaign strategy for protests. 

Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has sent a notice to the Delhi Police over the arrest. In its notice, DCW has requested for a copy of the complaint registered against Ravi and also enquired about the fact if any rules were flouted during the arrest of the activist.

"Disha Ravi has been arrested because of her involvement in the farmers' protests. As per media reports, Disha Ravi was not given a lawyer of her choice. Nor were rules followed during her arrest," DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said.

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(With IANS inputs)