People's Battle for Transparency

More than 20 resolutions were passed to exert pressure on the Union government to plug the loopholes in the Right to Information Act

- G PALANITHURAI

It was a congregation of 2,000 RTI (Right to Information) activists at Madurai (Tamil Nadu) on August 10 to take stock of what they had achieved in the last 20 years since the enactment of the Right to Information Act.

The entire gathering was in a contemplative mood, listening to the speakers and suggesting various means to strengthen the Act in the context of the present government taking steps to dilute it.

While narrating the story of the struggle undertaken by the people of Rajasthan, Nikhil Dey (MKSS) highlighted the steps taken by citizens and public intellectuals to impress upon the governing class the need to enact legislation.

The legislation did come, but it was not the one people wanted, and hence the bill was referred to a parliamentary committee constituted for that purpose.

The committee went across the country to gather opinions from the people under the chairmanship of Sudharshana Nachiappan.

Finally, the committee heard the voice of the poor, incorporated 158 corrections, and passed it in Parliament in 2005.

It was not the government's bill, but the will of the people.

It is historic that it became the people's bill.

This was narrated very impressively by Nikhil Dey, which put the participants in a jubilant mood.

Later, Sudharshana Nachiappan explained to the audience the whole process of changing the bill prepared by officials by incorporating nearly 158 amendments based on the views of the citizens of this country.

He highlighted the freedom given by his leader Sonia Gandhi and the contributions made by his committee members like P.C. Alexander, then Governor of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, and Ram Jethmalani, a legal luminary.