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‘Savarnas’ and ‘Intersectional equity’: Climate Justice is more about Leftist ‘Woke’ politics than climate, Disha Ravi’s statement shows why

It is an intriguing choice of words that the climate activist makes here. Her words convey the impression that 'climate justice' is not merely a policy objective, indeed, it is a spiritual imperative.

Disha Ravi has been at the heart of the global campaign against India over the farmer protests. The climate activist was arrested in connection with the Greta toolkit case and was subsequently granted bail by the Court.

After she was granted bail in the last week of February, Disha Ravi has now issued a statement describing her experience at Tihar jail. If nothing else, the statement definitively proves why ‘Climate Justice’ and ‘Climate Activism’ is a humongous scam of indescribable proportions.

In a flowery statement that gives one the distinct impression that the author of it has a tendency to meander into fantastical realms that have very little to do with troublesome reality, Disha Ravi said, “Climate Justice is about intersectional equity. It is about being radically inclusive of all groups of people, so that everyone has access to clean air, food and water.”

“It is a fight alongside those who are displaced; whose rivers have been poisoned; whose lands were stolen; who watch their houses get washed away every other season; and those who fight tirelessly for what are basic human rights,” she said.

Source: Twitter

It is an intriguing choice of words that the climate activist makes here. Her words convey the impression that ‘climate justice’ is not merely a policy objective, indeed, it is a spiritual imperative. The red flag, nonetheless, is the use of the word “intersectional” here.

Intersectionality is an ideological framework that classifies individuals into the categories of the oppressor and the oppressed and focuses itself to understanding how different aspects of an individual’s identity interact with each other to contribute to his or her position in the ‘Oppressional Hierarchy’.

For instance, Whites occupy the highest position in the ‘Oppressional Hierarchy’ in the West. Simultaneously, men are more privileged than women. Therefore, intersectionality postulates that Black women are more oppressed than black men because the former is a victim of both Patriarchy and White Privilege.

But heterosexual Black women are less oppressed than homosexual Black women because the former enjoys straight privilege and the latter, in turn, is more privileged than Transgender people from the Black community because they enjoy cis-privilege.

In the Indian context, Hindu Brahmin men are theorized to occupy the pole position in the hierarchy. But it’s all stupid as it does not take into account economic class into consideration and individual circumstances. For instance, in the West, Jussie Smollett, a rich Hollywood actor, is considered to be less privileged than a White working class man, which is idiocy.

In India, a poor Brahmin man who struggles to make ends meet is considered more privileged than someone like Lalu Prasad Yadav or Congress leader Udit Raj. What is obvious is that intersectionality is about politics, not justice.

Thus, when Disha Ravi says ‘Climate Justice’ is about “intersectional equity”, she makes it evident that it has very little to do with climate and everything to do with far Left politics.

Disha Ravi goes on to add, “We fight alongside those actively silenced by the masses and portrayed as ‘voiceless’, because it is easier for savarnas to call them voiceless. We take the easy way out and fund saviourism rather than amplify the voices on ground.”

Thus, the ideological orientations is pretty clear. The mask of ‘Climate Activist’ she wears is preposterous, she is just another caste activist of the ‘Woke’ variety. The amusing thing here is that the farmer protests is driven by the dominant caste in Haryana and Punjab to protect their interests. That ‘Woke’ Disha Ravi believes them to be her ally is a joke at multiple levels.

Others have, of course, pointed out the dichotomy between Climate Activism and supporting the environmentally destructive farming practices that the farmer unions have been fighting to protect. Therefore, we shall not elaborate on that. However, the words she has chosen to describe her experience betray the fact that her activism was the consequence of a young mind under the influence of revolutionary zeal.

Source: Twitter

“Ideas do not die,” she says, which leaves the reader with the distinct impression that it is a much less awe inspiring version of the iconic dialogue from the movie V for Vendetta where V says, “Ideas are bulletproof”.

As is imperative in such intersectional declarations, Disha Ravi humbly prostrates like a true believer and confesses her privilege and draws attention to others who do not have access to legal assistance as she did. Such an admission of one’s own privilege is a ritual rite of passage in intersectional circles.

The most important aspect of her statement is the admission that she had difficulty coming to terms with the fact that she could go to jail. It is emblematic of the world liberals are trying to create, a world where one does not have to suffer the consequences of her own actions.

Source: Twitter

“I had coerced myself into believing that the only way I would be able to live through this was by tricking myself into thinking that this wasn’t happening to me – the police did not knock on my door on 15 February, 2021; they did not take my phone and laptop, and arrest me; they did not present me at Patiala House Court; the media personnel were not trying to find a place inside the room,” she says.

Disha Ravi continued, “As I stood in that courtroom, desperately searching for my lawyers, I came to terms with the fact that I would have to defend myself. I had no idea whether there was legal assistance available so when the judge asked me if I have anything to say, I decided to speak my mind. Before I knew it, I was sent to 5 days in police custody.”

Her WhatsApp chats reported in the media revealed that she was aware of the possibility that UAPA charges may be pressed against her. But one is inclined to concede the possibility that she had a hard time believing that it was indeed coming true.

But once again, it reveals the fact that the ‘activists’ do not really weigh the consequences of their activism seriously. What else did she expect to happen when she was aligning herself with foreign actors who do not have the national interests of India in their heart?

What did she believe was going to happen when she engaged in ‘activism’ that jeopardised Indian national interests? Did she expect the Indian government to shower flowers on her? Now that she had to suffer the consequence of her actions, she is crying victim.

Everyone wants to be a hero these days but no one wants to suffer as heroes do. Disha Ravi is quite clearly consumed by the moral righteousness activism bestows on recruits. ‘Activists’ are convinced of the moral superiority of their actions and seldom take the time to consider whether the results of their activism will be beneficial for society at large.

They are consumed by visions of grandeur and come to endorse the toxic belief is that activism for the sake of it is virtuous in itself. ‘Aandolanjeevis’ are at the forefront of every protests but when such ‘protests’ escalate into violence like it did on Republic Day, they are quick to wash their hands off it. As Tywin Lannister opined, “Men love to blame demons when their grand plans unravel.”

The biggest takeaway from Disha’s statement is that Climate Activism is a brand of ‘Woke politics’ that concerns itself very little with the consequences of the policies they propose. Consistent with the dogma of ‘Woke politics’, ‘Climate Justice’ is intended to satiate the spiritual zeal of its adherents, not improve the lives of the very people it claims to serve.

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Searched termsDisha Ravi statement
K Bhattacharjee
K Bhattacharjee
Black Coffee Enthusiast. Post Graduate in Psychology. Bengali.

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