Gulf News: New Delhi: Friday, September 08, 2017.
Journalists
and activists are vulnerable Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in India. Unlike
other HRDs, a majority of Right to Information (RTI) activists are not part of
any organisation; they often act alone, moved by anger at corruption and other
illegal activities.
Activists in
the country are vulnerable because they live in the same areas as public
authorities and political leaders who do not want information about their
activities to be disclosed. For the most part, HRDs receive media attention
only when killed or seriously injured.
Besides, the
RTI Act, 2005 provides inadequate protection to whistle-blowers. The Central
Information Commission and state Information Commissions are not mandated to
deal with such threats or attacks or to provide protection when needed.
To point out
a few prominent cases, rationalist Narendra Achyut Dabholkar, while out on a
morning walk, was murdered on August 20, 2013, He was shot down by two
unidentified gunmen near Omkareshwar temple, Pune. The assailants fired four
rounds at him from a point blank range and fled on a motorcycle parked nearby.
Two bullets hit Dabholkar in his head and chest and he died on the spot.
In 1989,
Dabholkar had founded Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), a
committee meant to eradicate superstition in Maharashtra. He had faced several threats
and assaults since 1983 but had rejected police protection. Triggered by his
murder on August 20, 2013, the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic
Ordinance was promulgated in the state of Maharashtra, four days later. The
next year, in 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri for social work.
In August
2015, Central Bureau of Investigation and Maharashtra government announced a
Rs2.5 million (Dh143,449) award for any person providing information regarding
Narendra Dabholkar’s assailants.
Similar is
the case of MM Kalburgi. He was an Indian scholar of Vachana literature and
academic who served as vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi. Kalburgi
was a progressive voice among Lingayat, a caste group dominating Karnataka
state politics. He came under criticism from his lingayat community of
Karnataka, after he was accused of making “derogatory references” to Basava, a
12th-century philosopher who is revered by the community.
In 2014, he
had spoken against superstitions in Hinduism, which some people misinterpreted
as being against idolatry in Hinduism. Following which a case was registered on
the basis of a private complaint by an individual against Kalburgi for hurting
religious sentiments. Kalburgi was shot dead in the morning of August 30, 2015
at his residence in Dharwad district of Karnataka by two unidentified men. The
case remained unsolved.
Likewise,
journalist-activist Govind Pansare, who was the author of best selling Marathi
language biography of 17th century ruler Shivaji Shivaji Kon Hota, was attacked
on February 16, 2015 by gun-wielding assailants. He died from his wounds on
February 20.
Besides his
writing, Pansare used to run an organisation which encouraged inter-caste
marriages. He had opposed the Putrakameshti yajna (special prayers performed in
Hinduism for the sake of having a male child). He had protested toll taxes.
Pansare had also criticised the glorification of Nathuram Godse, the man who
killed Father of Indian Nation Mahatama Gandhi.
Police could
not find any evidence against Sameer Gaikwad, main accused in the case. Hence,
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) decided not to file a petition seeking
custody of Gaikwad. The investigations are still pending.
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