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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | RTI raises hope of justice by Andrew W Lyngdoh

RTI raises hope of justice by Andrew W Lyngdoh

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published Published on Mar 14, 2011   modified Modified on Mar 14, 2011
A few helpless spectators of injustice dived into past pain and picked out poignant personal tales at a national convention to understand if the Right to Information Act can help them turn back and undo a few wrongs.

V. Narzary was one such youth who came all the way from the Bodo belt in Assam to ask experts whether he could revisit, through the RTI Act, a case where the army allegedly gunned down five daily wage labourers from his village.

Many like Narzary had gathered at the three-day National Convention on the Right to Information, which concluded here yesterday, not for mere academic sleuthing but to understand if this potent tool can indeed yield justice.

“A few years ago, five daily wage labourers were picked up by the army from my village. A few days later, newspapers reported that five hardcore militants were gunned down by security forces,” Narzary said.

“But we know that the five persons who were gunned down were not hardcore militants. They were innocent daily wage earners,” he added.

“Can the RTI Act help us revisit the case?” he asked the gathering at the U Soso Tham auditorium, where the convention was held.

The youth also recounted how hard-earned money stashed away by poor villagers in their homes disappeared during police raids.

Since most of these villagers have no access to banks or post offices they put away their savings in their homes, only to be plundered during raids.

“Can we do something through the RTI Act to reclaim the money?” he asked.

Though Narzary did not get a ready answer, the act’s power was upheld by many.

“The RTI Act is a veritable brahmastra (ultimate weapon) in the hands of the people,” said former Delhi High Court Chief Justice A.P. Shah.

Shah’s call for judicial accountability and transparency sounded even more relevant when an RTI activist from Nagaland drew attention towards an instance of judicial corruption.

“After getting through a judicial exam in Delhi for the post of a high court judge, my friend was asked to pay Rs 15 lakh for the job. He refused. Therefore, his name was eliminated from the list of successful candidates,” the activist said.

The convention also encouraged a debate on the appointment of information commissioners.

“Why does the government choose only retired bureaucrats as information commissioners? Why not social activists?” asked an RTI activist from Jharkhand.

Magsaysay awardee Arvind Kejriwal pointed out that people could not expect transparency from corrupt information commissions.

“The selection and appointment process of information commissioners must be transparent,” he said.

The forum also emphasised the need to strengthen awareness about the act at the grassroots level.

The Telegraph, 14 March, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110314/jsp/northeast/story_13708810.jsp


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