Arrest Rajasthan BJP MLA who attacked Accountability Yatra: Top RTI activist Aruna Roy at Jaipur convention

By Pankti Jog*
Over 6,000 people gathered from 33 districts of Rajasthan on the culmination of 100 days’ Accountability Yatra, which began on December 1, 2015 at Ajmer. The yatra, led by Magsasay Award winning Right to Information (RTI) pioneer Aruna Roy, attracted national attention in January following a gruesome incident in which a mob led by a BJP MLA attacked activists, injuring several of them.
The 100-day-long campaign was conducted by tens of civil society and community-based organizations of Rajasthan, gathered on the platform called Suchana Evam Rojgaar Adhikar Abhiyaan (Information and Employment campaign).
The campaign focused on contentious issues relating to efforts being made to undermine food security, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), old-age pension, and right to education and health. In registered over 9,000 complaints online on the Rajasthan Sampark online grievance redressal with a login ID, which would enable the campaigners to track complaint status and quality of redressal.
The yatra, which ended at Jaipur, saw as many as 300 people’s hearings in all the districts of Rajasthan.
One of the main issues raised related to why were Rajasthan government-run computer service centres by called e-mitras (friends) for citizens charging anything between Rs 100 and Rs 300 for e-seva (services) that should be provided for just about Rs 20 or 30.
Hundreds of people complained of the high charges, and demanded disclosing price tag for different services rendered by e-mitras. After a month-long campaign on the issue, the state government was forced to issue a circular for displaying the price list on the walls of the offices which run e-mitra centres.
The campaign revealed that the Rajasthan government had decided to close down over 24,000 government schools. It also revealed that people fail to get treatment in government hospitals, though the doctors who work in there carry out private practice within the vicinity of the hospital. Further, it was revealed, old age people run from from pillar to post as banks refuse to disburse their pension on time.

The yatra placed the whole issue of lack of accountability and failure of government through street plays and puppet shows. This was so effective that, on January 16, the yatra was attacked by BJP MLA Kunwarlal Meena from Aklera, Jhalawad. Witnesses said, Meena personally beat up women participants of the yatra, evidence of which has been submitted to the state government in the form of video footage. No action has been taken against the MLA.
The yatra demanded a separate legislation to be passed in the Rajasthan state assembly -- accountability law. The first draft of the proposed bill was prepared during the yatra and has been submitted to the state government. Salient features of the draft accountability bill include:

Job chart for every government official/employee.
Time bound service delivery mechanism.
Provision for penalty, if public servant fails to observe the job chart.
Provision for compensation to the citizen.
Provision for criminal proceedings on demand of bribe.

The yatra convention demanded immediate arrest of the MLA who had attacked activists. It also demanded that there should be a public place for demonstrations and freedom of expression at Jaipur and Ajmer. Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey of the Majdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan particularly put forward this demand to allow people to express their views freely.
Aruna Roy announced that, over the next two months, district level yatras and rallies would be held throughout the state, and on May 10, 2016, an indefinite dharna (sit-in) will begin in Jaipur till the accountability law is passed.
All political parties were invited for the convention to express their views on this. While the BJP abstained, Congress, CPI, CPI-ML and Aam Aadmi Party sent their representatives, and supported the idea.

---

*Senior activist with Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel, Ahmedabad

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog