We continue to work under threats: Activists

Times of India: Jaipur: Wednesday, 14 October 2015.

The RTI activists in Rajasthan continue to work under threat from the forces. State has seen a brutal attack on one of its activists, Shambu Bishnoi, which claimed his life, while two others were badly injured in separate attacks. The activists working in areas like mining, local bodies and PWD face the maximum danger.

For RTI activist, Manglaram Meghwal, a resident of Bamror village in Barmer, life changed upside down on the chilly morning of March 3, 2013. Meghwal, who had exposed the village sarpanch of embezzlement of MGNREGA funds, paid the price of activism.

"My RTI report exposing the sarpanch of gulping down the funds meant for the construction work, disturbed him badly. Initially, I got threatening calls which I ignored. On the fateful day, I was in the gram panchayat hall unaware that a group of sarpanch loyalists, armed with iron batons, were waiting for me," said Meghwal, who sustained multiple injuries on both legs and hands.

Even after going through two-three operations, Meghwal still can't stand for long. "The bones of my right leg were so badly crushed that doctors had to insert a rod for support, which has now become a part of my body for ever," said Meghwal, who after attending a workshop on RTI decided to use the tool to expose corrupt practices in local bodies. The brutal attack has not deterred him from filing RTIs.

Another RTI activist, Mukesh Goswami of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), says that threats have become a routine affair for them. The biggest weapon with the concerned department is delay in giving the information so as to discourage the one seeking information. In some cases, it takes two-three years for the information to reach us. He explains that the information they seek is always time-bound and delay kills the cause of the information.