An Indian court on Tuesday granted bail to a climate activist charged with rioting after distributing a document intended to organize protest farmers.
The case of activist Disha Ravi, 21, is the latest test of the independence of the Indian judiciary amid a turn to nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose agricultural policy is at the heart of a month-long protest by the land’s farmers.
Mrs. Ravi was arrested on February 13 at her home in the southern city of Bangalore. She was later accused of distributing an online tutorial known as a ‘toolkit’ in the form of a Google Doc with discussion points and contact information for influential groups. According to authorities, this led to violence during a rally in Delhi last month.
Her arrest provoked outrage from former police officers, retired government officials and public intellectuals, who accused the Modi government of using the country’s law enforcement agencies to target political opponents.
Thousands of farmers have been campaigning on the outskirts of the capital since November to protest a new law that would undermine a subsidy system that has protected them from the free market for decades.
Although the protests were largely peaceful, violence broke out in New Delhi on January 26. Dozens of farmers and police officers were injured and one person was killed.
Mrs. Ravi’s activism was previously linked to the climate movement started by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The toolkit, which according to international activists is a widespread distribution, was brought to the attention of the Indian authorities after Thunburg tweeted it in solidarity with the Indian farmers.
Police in Delhi, which investigated the violence during the January 26 protests, said the purpose of the document was to spread unrest and “slander” the country.
“If the uprising of farmers worldwide is emphasized, there is unrest,” she said. Ravi told the court: “I’m better in jail.”
Judge Dharmender Rana of the Sessions Court in Delhi on Tuesday said there was little reason to detain Ms Ravi, questioning the prosecution’s logic to link the toolkit and the violence.
The judge granted bail to Mrs. Ravi on about 100,000 rupees, or $ 1,370, provided she lives in Delhi.