Your Right To Information Lies In An Act - I

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The world over, country after democratic country, has recognized the need to keep their citizens informed about the way Government takes decisions. In our country we have the Right to Information Act for the last two years. The spirit of the Act can be best summarized by stating that without informed citizens there is no democracy. It recognizes that in a democracy citizens are the masters and servants cannot deny information to their masters. In fact, servants acts as trustees and hold the information belonging to their masters. But for almost six decades, the servants behaved like masters and the masters simply accepted this treatment.

Rampant corruption prevailing in the country forced the lawmakers to understand that there is no way the country can become better without the servants favouring good governance. Under these circumstances, the preamble of the Right to Information Act highlights containing corruption, improving transparency and making servants accountable by empowering citizens to get information..

It lays down the foundation for a better tomorrow. In fact, every citizen who is the master has now the same power to obtain information which only the legislators had so far. This single aspect alone should create a new group of people who will demand good governance. This tool should help the poorest. To help the poorest requires attacking corruption at its root. The RTI Act is sufficiently strong in its present form to even attack the roots of corruption. There will forever be corruption at the lower levels as long as its seeds are sown at the highest level. The RTI Act can be used to expose these seeds of corruption which in turn can curb corruption at the lower levels.

Today, in addition to this Act, we have the benefit of internet. Also most of the youth today do not bribe to get jobs. Even if a small number of such people who can handle technology effectively are motivated to fight corruption it can do wonders. Such optimism was unthinkable only a few years back. The RTI Act, young people and internet can really bring in the real freedom to everybody.

This was unlike during mahatma gandhi's time when he had to move from place to place to mobilize people and use communication methods which were very primitive. So, we are at a distinct advantage as we are empowered by technology. The purpose of this lecture is to at least motivate a handful of people who in turn could spread the message to others. Every Indian should be ashamed when India is graded year after year as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. By fighting corruption we are making our own tomorrow better.

RTI Act recognizes that information held in any form should be made available to citizens. In fact, samples of materials used also come under the definition of information. Overriding all other facts, the RTI Act allows information pertaining to third parties to be given to the citizen even if prohibited by the earlier Acts. The only requirement is that the information sought should be in public interest. As far as information held by the Government including personal information, the Act allows one to get such information without even giving any reason as to why you need that information.

The RTI Act not only helps the citizens but also the whistle-blower and to recognize whether a particular person is a genuine whistle-blower or not, all one has to do is see files handled by him earlier. In this way supporting a whistle-blower is a much easier task today. But as whistle-blowers do not announce about their own activities, opinion of individuals should be collected and likely whistle-blower's list should be prepared. The very fact of preparation of a whistle-blower's list itself allows more information to come regarding whistle-blowers.