Disha Annappa Ravi (born 1998, Bangalore)[2] is an Indian youth climate change activist and a founder of Fridays For Future India.

[1] Her arrest on 13 February 2021 for an alleged involvement with an online toolkit related to Greta Thunberg and the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protests gained international attention.

[3][4] The Indian government alleged that the toolkit, a standard social justice communications and organizing document,[5] providing a list of ways to support the farmers' protests,[6] fomented unrest and a form of sedition.

"[2][13] Disha focuses on bringing voices to communities in need[9][14][15] and is an author of multiple editorials and articles for international youth climate activists.

[23] Disha was involved with an FFF India email advocacy campaign in opposition to a March 2020 draft environmental impact assessment (EIA) by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

[10][a] Disha told Auto Report Africa, "We live in a country where dissent is suppressed ... We in Fridays For Future India were labelled terrorists for objecting to the draft EIA notification.

[27][28] An activist mentioned that the toolkit was a "routine document used by social justice campaigners to raise awareness about issues and suggest strategies to proceed".

[5] On 13 February 2021, Disha was picked up for questioning from her home in Soladevanahalli, Bengaluru, by a team from the Delhi Police for allegedly disseminating a social media toolkit related to the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protests.

"[35] The police alleged Disha was a "key conspirator" in creating and disseminating the tookit, and that she collaborated with pro-Khalisatani "Poetic Justice Foundation" to spread disaffection against Indian state.

"[33] Another source mentioned the police did not allege "a link between the violence on 26 January and the contents of the toolkit, which indeed only talk about lawful forms of protest, including social media campaigns.

[38] The New York Times described the arrest as the "latest in a series of broader crackdowns on activists" and part of a larger decline in internet freedom in India.

[39] The Telegraph wrote that the arrest "comes after Ms. Thunberg and the popstar Rihanna used their celebrity status to support the farmers' protests, prompting an angry response from the Indian government.

[41] NBC News reported that Disha "has emerged as a symbol of the Indian government's crackdown on dissent" and her arrest has "renewed concerns of an authoritarian backlash to the farmers' protests that have rocked the country.

"[45] Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "Arrest of 21 yr old Disha Ravi is an unprecedented attack on Democracy.

"[46] BJP Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said, "everyone had the right to dissent in a democracy, but 'conspiracy' with foreigners must be stopped" and "called for thorough investigation in the farmers' protest document case.

"[48] Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party president M. K. Stalin tweeted, "Shocked by the police arrest of Disha Ravi on flimsy charges.

"[50] P. Chidambaram, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor, Meena Harris, Siddharth, Claudia Webbe, Bill McKibben, Lucy Siegle, Trisha Shetty, Rupi Kaur, Karuna Nundy, Mihir Sharma, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, Surpriya Shrinate, Kapil Sibal, T. M. Krishna, Kavita Krishnan, and Aishe Ghosh spoke out on Twitter against Disha's arrest.

[66] Around 900 alumni of Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, signed a protest condemning the arrest claiming that it was an attempt by the government to browbeat Disha.

[67] On 18 February, Reuters reported "Ravi's arrest has kicked off a fire storm of criticism against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for using heavy-handed tactics to counter the farmers' agitation.

[32] On February 18, the Delhi high court ruled that the plea filed by Disha to restrain the police from leaking information about its investigation will be considered.

[78][79] Judge Rana stated, "Considering the scanty and sketchy evidence on record, I do not find any palpable reason for keeping a 22-year-old in custody.

The following couplet in Rig Veda embodies our cultural ethos expressing our respect for divergent opinions", quoting a translation, "Let noble thoughts come from all directions".