RTI: Is it a shortcut to gain political entry?

Much before Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party made a spectacular debut in the Assembly elections of NCR Delhi and crumbled down under its own weight like a pack of cards, I’m sure Sheila Dikshit and co. would’ve been silently cursing the Right to Information under their own breath for all their misfortunes.

Indian political history, until that point of time, was largely populated by political dynasties. Just like the Bollywood is replete with the Khans and the Kapoors, so is the political pantheon with the Gandhis (Congress), the Yadavs (Samajwadi Party), the Gowdas (Janata Dal), the Reddys (YSR Congress), the Chautalas (INLD) and many more contributing their heart and soul and flesh and blood to run/loot this country and carry on the legacy of their godfathers.

The wave of Aam Aadmi party, a term subsequently hijacked by BJP to foment the popularity of its PM candidate, and its promise of delivering citizen-friendly governance and corruption free politics breathed life into the otherwise mundane caste and/or communal polarized elections. For the first time ever, a common man with no well established political pedigree could actually test the political waters, with the possibility of even winning it, on the plank of clean-image-for-clean-politics. Approachability and connectivity with the grassroots public became the catch-phrases, overshadowing the rhetoric of accountability and transparency of Congress which rewarded it with a second term during 2009-2013.

Never even in its wildest dreams would the Indian National Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had ever dreamt that its assiduously nurtured landmark initiative of Right to Information would so mercilessly backfire on itself that it’d inflict an irreversible and irreparable dent to its political fortunes. To be precise, promulgating RTI did more harm than good for it. The damage was two-fold. First, it exposed all the skeletons in its cupboards, stripping it naked in the eyes of people. As if the countless litigations for which it as dragged to the apex court wasn’t enough, its moral bankruptcy was on the display during the investigation on a rainbow-of-scams viz., 2G, Coal-gate, Adarsh scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Augusta Westland VVIP Chopper deal to name a few. Second, and the most crucial one, was that RTI conceived the emergence of a new clan of people called Whistleblowers or RTI Activists.  The so called self-branded-moral-keepers-of-the-society comprised people from all walks of life who used RTI as a noose around the neck of the government. Although the power brokers cried foul over its over-use and mole hunting prowess, but little did that matter. So far so good.

Subramaniam Swamy, also called litigation-raja, was a little known figure to the Indian public until he exposed the mind-numbing 2G scam using RTI as his weapon. Arvind Kejriwal, founder of AAP, shot to fame less by social service and more by being an RTI activist. Anjali Damaniya, a real estate developer in Mumbai, who contested against Nitin Gadkari (Former BJP Prez.) is also an RTI activist. The list of these sitting-ducks-of-India doesn’t just stop there. The writers own uncle is an RTI activist-turned-Sarpanch. This plebian-to-politician drama is a pan-India phenomenon today. Don't believe? Take my advice, be google-smart. :-P

Asian Centre of Human Rights (ACHR) calls RTI activists as Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and brings out a detailed account of the rabid assault and persecution, rather witch-hunt, they face. As recent as on May 2, 2014 Mr. Chandra Mohan Sharma, RTI activist from Delhi was burnt to ashes. He joins tens of other such fellow compatriots who laid down their lives for the common good. No doubt, all these murders are politically motivated.

The threat to lives of these RTI activists is imminent. And as this cult resists persecution by political zealots, one thing becomes clear. An increasing number of people are resorting to the use of RTI as a ticket to gain access into the otherwise inaccessible political corridors of power. RTI is being exploited by people with vested interests to hog the media limelight and shoot to fame overnight. Consider this:

Maharashtra, the state with the dubious distinction of being #1 in terms of assaults on RTI activists, is taking pains to provide them with adequate security. An excerpt from an article titled Maharashtra prepares list of RTI activists before deciding on security  (Times of India: 13.10.2013 edition by Prafulla Marpakwar) says:

… specific information had been sought from commissioners and superintendents of police on the leading RTI activists across the state, the nature of information obtained by them and whether they were acting on behalf of people who were trying to settle scores with rivals.

But this is only one side of the coin. And believe me, the picture isn’t rosier on the other side even. RTI is increasingly becoming a taser to accrue economic and political mileage by the way of extortions and blackmailing.

Take Aam Aadmi Party, for instance. During its incubation period, it was manned by well-known-RTI-activists before all the riff-raffs started infiltrating it, in the garb of  RTI activists, to further their own political benefits. Everyday a new whistleblower turns up with an RTI filed with malicious intent and threatens to go public if his /her demands are not satisfied. This is one such reason why the AAP campaign has lost its sheen and is rubbished today as nothing but an urban-phenomenon spewing anarchy and mobocracy by its ideological adversaries.

Media plays a key role in dissemination of information and formation of public opinion. As the fourth estate of the democracy, its role to ensure that only people of good and proven credentials with an intent to serve the public without being partisan or myopic has never been much stronger than what it is now. Ethical reportage and exhaustive analysis of stories cooked up in the news rooms should guide the common man in the right way. Unnecessary coverage to bogus and irrelevant exposes accompanied with mindless and endless verbal fisticuffs should be completely done away with.

Government should ensure RTI doesn’t put itself between Scylla and Charybdis. Rights should be accompanied with restrictions. Government should strictly demand for the purpose for which the information being sought would be used, with the onus to prove solely relying on the applicant. Information should be denied, if the intention is mala fide with the provision of placing the applicant on a red list in addition to imposing hefty penalties. This would deter the anti-elements from relentlessly exploiting this precious fundamental right guaranteed to every free citizen of our country as a token to gain access into the political space, thereby denting its image as a tool in the hands of people to ensure good-governance-for-all.

Whether RTI activists hijacking politics are doing so to evade persecution or to take revenge, only time will tell. But for now, which coalition forms the next government at the centre seems to be our priority. Even I’m eager too. 

Let's not forget.

- One voice silenced isn’t just a life lost, but one more nail punched on to the coffin of humanity.