Following the arrest of 21-year-old youth activist Disha Ravi, in connection to the farmers' protest 'toolkit' probe, Twitter has taken to the At 21 trend to discuss what they were doing when they were her age. The trend has created a storm online with over a million tweets. Here's a look at Indian Youth Activists seeking change.
Ravi has come under the global spotlight for having allegedly edited and contributed to the 'toolkit' shared by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Delhi Police claimed that Ravi, an activist from Bengaluru, was the editor and "key conspirator" in building the document. Read more on the case here.
Here are a few reactions from the At 21 trend that gained steam after Ravi's arrest:
At 21 trend catches the attention of Kangana Ranaut
As At 21 Trends, Here Are 5 Youth Activists You Should Know About:
1. Disha Ravi
Disha Ravi is one of the founding members of the Fridays For Future India organisation and is an active participant in India's climate crisis protests. Her FFF movement began in August 2018, after Thunberg and other young activists protested the lack of action on the climate crisis.
The 21-year-old has brought together through her efforts college students and young working professionals to highlight the climate crisis. She has also been published on climate editorials.
On Sunday, Ravi was taken for questioning from her Bengaluru residence after authorities probed her alleged role in the 'toolkit' organised by Greta Thunberg to collect and spread international opinion on India's farmer protests. Ravi was presented in Delhi's Patiala Court and has been remanded to five days of judicial custody. Protests in Bengaluru are demanding her release. The Delhi police is investigation Ravi's connection with the toolkit, which she says, she edited two sentences of.
2. Safoora Zargar
Safoora Zargar is a student activist noted for her role in the Citizenship Amendment Act protests that raged through the country in 2019. An M Phil student of Jamia Millia Islamia, Zargar was arrested under UAPA in April last year while pregnant upon the allegation that she had hatched a conspiracy to spark the 2020 Delhi riots.
She was granted release in June 2020 on humanitarian grounds as she was 23 weeks pregnant.
Zargar, who is from Kashmir, has been vocal about human rights issues, peaceful protests and communal harmony. In a recent article, she wrote, "As a scholar, I would like to highlight that de-radicalisation is the first step towards healing in India right now."
At 21 trend: Here's what Indian youth activists are doing in their 20s
3. Priyanka Paul
Priyanka Paul, who goes by the title Artwhoring online, describes herself as an illustrator, poet, writer, storyteller and creator on her website. She belongs to the Bahujan community, speaks for it publicly and identifies herself as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
At 21, Paul is known for being vocal on Instagram and Twitter about several social issues that need addressing, predominantly on caste, gender, mental health, and body positivism.
In November last year, the artist-activist was notably in a Twitter feud with actor Kangana Ranaut, in which the latter shamed Paul for her physical appearance. Read on that here.
4. Nodeep Kaur
23-year-old Nodeep Kaur is a Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS) trade union activist who was participating actively in the farm law protests at Singhu until she was arrested by authorities in January. The Haryana police pressed several charges on Kaur, including attempt to murder, and rioting, unlawful assembly and trespassing.
The Haryana government has now received a notice over the ‘illegal confinement’ of Dalit labour activist Nodeep Kaur. Though the activist got bail on one charge, she is to remain in jail till her next hearing.
Her sister Rajveer Kaur, PhD student, has alleged Kaur was assaulted in police custody and that Kaur has wounds on her body including the private parts.
5. Archana Soreng
Archana Soreng is a 25-year-old environmental activist from the tribal areas of Odisha, recognised globally for her work in climate action. She pursued her Bachelors in Political Science from the Patna Women’s College. She is currently the Research Officer at TISS Forest Rights and Governance Project in Vasundhara, Odisha.
Last year, she was selected as one of the seven members of the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change established by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a part of UN Youth Strategy. "It is on us to be the front runners in combating the climate crisis,” Soreng was quoted saying.
As per UN, Soreng is “experienced in advocacy and research, and she is working to document, preserve, and promote traditional knowledge and cultural practices of indigenous communities
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