The toolkit is a document key to digital-era protests and is equivalent to pamphlets and fliers that are used by the protestors on the streets. In simple words, it is a document that educates and amplifies the cause of the protest. It also provides a roadmap on how to take the protest forward, underscoring what needs to be done, when and how. On 4 February 2021, Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg extended her support to the ongoing farmers’ protest in India and shared a toolkit via her official Twitter handle. However, shortly after tweeting the toolkit, she deleted it and shared an updated version of the document.
Climate activist Disha Ravi has been a constant target of fake news and disinformation since her arrest on charges of editing and sharing a ‘toolkit’ – an online document related to the farmers’ protest. Fake news spread on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp that made false claims that the 22-year-old activist was a Syrian Christian from Kerala, the amount being paid to her lawyer with many of them spread by right wing supporters and other by fake accounts that cropped up in Ravi’s name.
Ravi, a founding member of the Indian chapter of “Fridays for Future was arrested by Delhi Police from her residence in Bangalore, on February 13, 2021 after allegations that the toolkit was linked to the January 26, 2021 violence at the Red Fort.
Promulgating Fake News regarding Disha Ravi Hours after her arrest, multiple fake accounts impersonating Ravi sprung up on Twitter. While some falsely claimed to be her, with tweets even after she was in the custody of Delhi police, other accounts claimed the account was started and operated by her sister and sometimes a friend.
A fake claim that the actual name of Disha Ravi is Disha Ravi Joseph and that she is a Christian was shared by several right wing Twitter handles making ‘Disha Ravi Joseph’ one of the top Twitter trends on February 17, 2021. The fake post shared also by Prashant Patel Umrao, falsely claimed that Ravi is a Syrian Christian from Kerala and not a Hindu and hence was part of a movement supporting farmers’ protest.
Viral social media posts falsely claimed that Ravi hired advocate Akhil Sibal, son of Congress leader Kapil Sibal, to represent her for an enormous sum of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh per appearance.
