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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

The other side of RTI by Joshua Sheqi

Anyone can talk big things, but nothing beats the old saying; “Action speaks louder than words”. How do we tackle the situation where most of the so called concerned people are actually opportunists who are waiting for someone to get the beating first and decide? What will happen in a society where everyone is an opportunist with illusionary autocratic mentality; sitting comfortably at a distance and only pointing fingers of what needs to be done (the kind of job any fool can be comfortable with)?!
 
Over the years, since 2005 YouthNet has conducted more than 60 Seminars and Workshops affecting over 10,000/- (ten thousand) people directly. In our humble tryst with RTI Act 2005 to assist the people and the Government to promote transparency and accountability in the system to discourage corruption has invited both appreciation and condemnation which is part and parcel of any job/activity. However, one sad common observation on our Nagas reveals that, ‘it is the job of the sensitizers to come and sweep my/our kitchen, even after showing them how to use the tool and how to do it’! The dependency mentality is overwhelming.
 
There are few areas where working with RTI is unappreciated by most in the Government and unknown or ignored by the public as long as it is happening to others:
 
a.    Most officials in the Government Departments take RTI Application in the department personally as though the RTI Act is passed for him/her.
b.    YouthNet members have been warned on several occasions by many affected officials saying that it will be personal. Who wants to get personal with anyone? They encourage RTI only if it is applied in other departments. If I feel the Law is against me, is the Law wrong or the system not in place?
c.    YouthNet as an organization has never decided to target any official or office because any member had any grudge against any official. The RTI Applications have been filed in departments either because the partnering organization(s) chose according to the needs of the area or because the people in the area/locality want to after consultation(s).
d.    Many departmental officials instead of appreciating the Law that will assist the department to bring the system into place want to shy away, yet talks about lawlessness in the society. How can one be illegal an expect others to be legal?
e.    The RTI reports YouthNet have made and submitted to the Government over the years have not led to the punishment worth the mention of any official(s), due to the fact that most of the defaulters have public support and Politicians support besides others. This has invited sharp criticisms from different quarters, mostly from people who wouldn’t dare to even try.
f.    The public on the other hand constantly questions what has RTI done? Some goes to the extent of saying RTI is a useless Law without even knowing the Law or trying it.
 
Some of the reasons why RTI is not affective in Nagaland:
 
a.    Public take money during election; politicians have to recover and also save more for the next election; development gets compromised with deduction and cuts; lack of development results in less opportunity created; less development less employment opportunity; too much demand on the politicians beyond human possibility results again in corrupt election system.
b.    Public demand too much on the Government officials, though they are there to help, the demands are normally more than what they can give in their official capacity; officials forced to be corrupted; development works compromised. When forced by the people does it require any special skill to be corrupted?
c.    The demand on Politicians and Government Officials is like a profession/occupation for many people. The demand even to the extent of minibus fare and to buy slippers is a 365 days affair in a year! Time may not be far off, when our public will ask our Politicians and Government Officials; ‘Sir/Madam, what curry shall I have today?! ‘A stitch on time saves nine’.
d.    Public/Educated youth overburdens the Government (Politicians/Officers) with endless demand of employment in the public sector most by hook or crook means. This promotes all sorts of isms (corruption).
 
How can we affectively check corruption with RTI when almost 100% of the people are directly or indirectly corrupted? How can we get back that moral authority? We have to break out somewhere and that has to start with clean election system (educate our rural populace), which will help our Politicians to impress strongly on all round quality development. This in turn will help a beautiful Law like RTI to become more affective.
 
Currently, YouthNet in partnership with the ATI (Administrative Training Institute), Government of Nagaland, under the aegis of the Government of India is running the program, ‘Youth for transparency: The RTI campaign for colleges in Kohima”. The campaign encourages especially the students to use RTI affectively by filing applications in the Government Offices. It is pertinent to mention that, some departmental officials have started warning some of the members of the Organization, though YouthNet is helping out the Government carry out its own program!!
 
YouthNet’s RTI Program has always been supported and funded by the Government, except for 2010-11 which was funded by UN Habitat, a small award for Youth Initiative. The process has started not to stop until the consciences of the people are pricked. YouthNet has never and shall never target any individual officer or department, but shall act Pro bono public interest and demand. It has always been our endeavor to explain the cycle of corruption alongside RTI.
 
We the people of Nagaland especially the present day youths shall need to develop larger social consciousness beyond selfishness and tribalism, only then common issues can be successfully dealt with. The solution is only a step away from pointing fingers, i.e., participation or rectification.