Disclose RTI info sought by murdered Pune activist, it was about poor civic services, not Modi's trips abroad: CHRI

By Our Representative
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), an influential Delhi-based advocacy group, has demanded that the Maharashtra’s Right to Information (RTI) watchdog, State Information Commission, must order disclosure of all information sought by RTI activist Suhas Haldankar of Pimpri-Chichwad, Pune district, murdered on April 2, and put all of it in public domain.
CHRI’s RTI coordinator Venkatesh Nayak says, this is particularly important because “Halkankar did not ask information about purchase of fighter aircrafts or what India was promising the visiting Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and Australia. He was highlighting the poor state of the civic administration in his area.”
The second murder of an RTI activist in Maharashtra in 2017 and the third under the present state government, it comes amidst Government of India (GoI) proposing an amendment in the RTI Rules proposed which authorizes the Central Information Commission (CIC) to close a case upon the death of the applicant.
Draft RTI Rule 12 also proposes to allow those seeking information under RTI to withdraw their application, leading RTI activists to wonder whether, taking advantage of this loophole, those seeking to expose corruption or maladministration would be threatened into withdrawing their appeals.
Comments Nayak, “If Haldankar had fallen for the candies they offered or given in to their intimidatory tactics, he might have withdrawn his RTI applications and appeals.”
With 16 such incidents reported since 2010 (including the latest case), Maharashtra tops the list of states with the highest number of citizens murdered for using RTI to demand transparency and accountability in governance. A total of 66 RTI activists have been killed nationwide since the Act came into place in 2005.
According to CHRI, 34 RTI activists in Maharashtra “have survived physical assaults, while at least 38 other incidents of harassment or threats to RTI activists have been reported in the media since October 2005. CHRI has documented attacks on RTI activists on its website, Hall of Shame, mapping each of them on a Google Map.
Sharply criticizing the RTI draft rules, Nayak says, if these are passed, “all RTI applications and appeals that may have filed by Haldankar with Central public authorities would abate automatically on his death.”
Also taking exception to the Union Minister for Personnel and Public Grievances, the nodal Ministry for implementing RTI Act, for seeking to undermine the criticism of the draft rules as "lack of understanding of what the entire issue is all about", Nayak says, “Of course people without formal training in law will not understand the hair-splitting arguments about RTI Rules, Regulations and Guidelines.”
Simultaneously asking the GoI to “stop dragging its feet on implementing the Whistleblower Protection Act”, CHRI in its statement said, it should “include provisions in the law to protecting RTI activists and RTI applicants from harm.”
Also seeking National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) intervention into the gruesome murder of the RTI activist, CHRI said, Haldankar was “battered to death with cement blocks allegedly by a group of 11 persons in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area of Pune.”
At least one of the accused is said to be a former corporator belonging to the Indian National Congress.

Comments

Modi win may force Pak to put Kashmir on backburner, resume trade ties with India

By Salman Rafi Sheikh* When Narendra Modi returned to power for a second term in India with a landslide victory in 2019, his government acted swiftly. Just months after the election, the Modi government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In doing so, it stripped the special constitutional status conferred on Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, and downgraded its status from a state with its own elected assembly to a union territory administered by the central government in Delhi.

Tyre cartel's monopoly: Farmers' groups seek legal fight for better price for raw rubber

By Our Representative The All India Kisan Sabha and the Kerala Karshaka Sangham that represents the largest rubber producing state of Kerala along with rubber farmers have sought intervention against the monopoly tyre companies that have formed a cartel against the interests of consumers and farmers. Vijoo Krishnan, AIKS General Secretary, Valsan Panoli, Kerala Karshaka Sangham General Secretary, and four farmers representing different rubber growing regions of Kerala have filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Urban Naxal to Amit Shah, AAP Bharuch candidate tops ADR's Gujarat criminal cases list

By Rajiv Shah Refusing to go beyond the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the Lok Sabha candidates’ own declarations of their criminal record, educational qualification and assets, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a top-notch advocacy group, has declared Aam Aadmi Party candidate Chaitar Vasava, 35, having the highest number of criminal cases of all those fighting the electoral battle on 26 seats in Gujarat.

As inequality afflicts voters, Ambanis seem 'happily honest' flexing economic power

By Sonali Kolhatkar* There are several exercises in extremes playing out in India right now. Nearly a billion people are voting in elections that will last into early June, braving record-high temperatures to cast ballots. Against this backdrop, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani , is throwing what will likely be the world’s most expensive wedding for his youngest son.

Climate crisis: Modi-led BJP 'refraining from phasing out coal production, emissions'

By Our Representative Civil society groups have released a charter of demands for securing climate justice and moving towards a just transition, demanding review and reframing of India’s Climate Action Policy Framework. The charter says that while the daily summer temperature in the country has already begin to roar sky high, millions of people in India are heading to the booths to cast their vote in this scorching heat. The everyday impacts of extreme weather events, a result of the climate crisis, has become alarmingly threatening.

Congress manifesto: Delving deep into core concepts related to equity, social justice?

By Prof RR Prasad* The deafening current clamor on one of the agenda items of the 2024 Congress Party Election Manifesto has made common people to ponder whether ideologies like social justice and equity could become conundrum and contentious manifestations of some organization's vision and mission.

RSS 'never supported' reservation, Golwalkar didn't think casteism hindered Hindu unity

By Shamsul Islam* RSS which claims to be the biggest organization of Hindus in the world is, in fact, a unique organization which trains its cadres in manufacturing and spreading lies in the pure Goebbelsian tradition. It functions as a gurukul; a high Caste learning institution for Hindu high castes where students also graduate in practicing what George Orwell termed ‘doublespeak’ and thus RSS has rightly been described as an “organization that thrives on political doublespeak”. [Edit, ‘Sangh’s triple-speak’, "The Times of India", 26 August 2002]. It is through lies that poison is spread against lower castes, minorities and all those who stand for multi-culturalism.

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor* Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

At developing nations' expense? US subsidies 'promoting' unfair trade practices

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The Secretary of the US Department of the Treasury, Janet L Yellen visited the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from April 3rd to April 9th, 2024, for bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening healthy economic relationships and engaging in other diplomatic discussions. During her visit, Yellen expressed concerns about Chinese state subsidies, stating in a press conference that they "pose significant risks to workers and businesses not only in the United States but also globally."

Search This Blog