Protests Against RTI Amendments

Protests and campaigns are increasing with each passing day against the proposed amendments to the Right to Information Act that activists say will dilute the entire spirit of the legislation.

From the time the act was implemented it was considered to be one of the most powerful means to curb malpractices, corruption, bungling inordinate delays etc but before people in India get full awareness of the kind of power they have in their hands with RTI Act the government has decided to amend the law itself.

When the law was implemented Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that Right to Information (RTI) Act could become a key to improving governance by cutting corruption and ensuring public service delivery goals are met but in just a few months time the government has decided to amend the act. Meanwhile protests are growing louder as people seem to question the government's motive in first making a rule and then finding ways of avoiding to apply it in true spirit.

While NGOs and citizens' groups have raised a vociferous protest, even former bureaucrats have come out openly against the ban on file notings being made public.

Experts say the proposed amendment could mean a death blow to the Act. For, it excludes file notings, except for those relating to development and social issues. This means though the decisions of the government would be known, the basis on which they have been taken will not be given.

The proposed amendment will also deny any access to identities of those who have recorded notings. There will be no access to information on decisions in process. This means nobody would be able to question delays in any sector.

Even as Parliament is getting ready to pass the Bill seeking amendments to the Right to Information Act, voices of protest are growing louder. Among citizens' initiatives, there are signature campaigns and online petitions against the Cabinet decision to amend the RTI.

All over the country, everyday people used RTI to get ration cards, passports, even water connections without paying any bribes. But under pressure from bureaucrats, the same government that introduced the Act wants to amend it.

As protests grow noted Gandhian Anna Hazare has decided to start a hunger strike in Mumbai to force the government to reconsider its decision to amend the Act. This is just the beginning, campaigners say that the battle with the government will be fought on the streets.