DNA: Mumbai: Friday, March 28, 2014.
A day after
the suicide of Pune-based activist Vilas Dattatreya Baravkar, RTI activists in
Mumbai and other parts of the state have written to the state information
commission pointing out security issues related to them.
The letter
addressed to state chief information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad points at
the increasing incidents of attacks on RTI activists. Apart from requesting him
to intervene in the matter, activists have also urged Gaikwad that he direct
the public authorities, to whom Baravkar made applications, to suo motu declare
all the details.
Section 4 of
the RTI Act talks about suo motu declaration by public authorities.
The letter
also demands speedier investigation, stringent and fast action to book the
culprits, allow family members of activists to write about their plight in the
annual report of the information commission submitted to the state legislature.
Based on a
report compiled by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, dna reported on
December 23, 2013 that Maharashtra had the highest number of death of activists
which were related to filing RTI applications. With the killing of Thane-based
activist Abrar Shaikh due to his alleged use of RTI, the figure stood at nine.
After Baravkar's death, it is now 10.
"One
more RTI martyr from our state... it's a matter of great concern. We condemn
this dastardly act of eliminating activists who use their fundamental right to
expose wrong-doing," wrote Bhaskar Prabhu of Mahiti Adhikar Manch, an
organisation that works towards RTI.
Pune-based
activist Vihar Durve, who wrote a letter to not just the information
commissioner but also to the governor and the chief minister, drew attention to
the attacks on RTI activists. The number of attacks, including deaths, stood
over 30.
"I feel
that all stake holders of RTI should have some mention in the annual report.
Family members of activists should be allowed to mention their plight so that
the legislature too takes note of it," said Durve.
Chief
information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad told dna: "I have asked the Pune
commissioner to dig out all of Bavarkar's applications and direct the public
authorities to suo motu declare all information he wanted. Families writing on
annual report may not be possible because the reports have a specific purpose.
However, we have mentioned about the attacks in the report and have also asked
the state to provide protection to activists."