The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by it should be thankful to Disha Ravi for forwarding the controversial Toolkit with Greta Thunberg, allegedly giving details on how to make the Indian farmers’ protest strong and to draw international attention to it.

Had it not been for her share, she would not have been arrested and that would not have given the BJP and its blind supporters an opportunity to once again run a campaign on nationalism, this time to divert attention from the occupation of parts of Arunachal Pradesh by China and construction of a village there. Though the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a non-convincing statement that the land has been in the possession of China since 1959, satellite images have shown that the construction was carried out between November 2019 and November 2020.

Even the whimper on the issue, by the weak opposition party, which does not find enough space on prominent television channels, has put the BJP on the defence, with its spokespersons shouting themselves hoarse that the Congress and other parties questioning the government on the Chinese action, are anti-national.

The arrest of Disha Ravi under charges of sedition and conspiracy against the Indian government, has given momentum to the drumbeating on the issue of nationalism.

Basic tenets of the legal process were not followed by the Delhi police, which is under the Union government, while arresting Disha Ravi. Here parents were not informed why she was being taken into custody and where she would be taken.

The magistrate, before whom she was produced, ignored the denial by the Delhi police to allow Disha Ravi to take legal help and she was remanded to police custody, without being allowed to engage a lawyer. This has happened in a country where a previous government and the Supreme Court had given legal help to Kasab, the only terrorist to be caught alive, from among those who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008. That shows how this nation has respected legal procedures in the past.

The arrest of Disha Ravi shows how jittery the government is about protests against it. After having tried various means to crush the farmers’ agitation and failed, the government is now targeting all those who are directly or indirectly supporting the farmers. Several farmers, journalists and activists have been arrested and Disha Ravi is the latest to be arrested.

Farmers have complained that at least 100 protesting farmers are in jail, but their families have not been informed about their whereabouts.

In a speech in the parliament Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described Indian democracy as the mother of democracy, but by indulging in such actions, he and his government are giving a bad name to our democracy and our nation. In that sense, the government can be said to be involved in anti-national activities.

In a strong democracy, people look up to the judiciary for remedial measures from the acts of a dictatorial government. At this juncture that does not seem to be a possible remedy, in the light of the recent statement by former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi that the Indian judiciary is in ramshackle. Had such a statement been made by any other citizen, the courts would have move contempt proceedings against the person.

If the judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court wish to prove that the judiciary is not in ramshackle, they should act immediately and ensure that the citizens are not deprived of their democratic rights, they should correct the government for trampling upon the democratic processes in the country. If they remain silent, the judiciary will surely collapse. Judges should listen to their conscience if it is still alive.

There was a time when the judiciary played a role of judicial activism. Judicial activism is most required when the government acts in a dictatorial manner and that time has come.