Anna Hazare’s fast created nationwide awareness against corruption. The case is different in the Northeastern states. There Right to Information activists continue to face harassment and torture. Seventeen families have been ostracised by a traditional village council in Meghalaya for questioning non-availability of food grains. An activist in Sonitpur district in Assam was physically assaulted for asking questions about the Public Distribution System (PDS). Seeking information under the RTI Act has become a risky matter in Assam and other Northeastern states. In most cases, the torture is caused by an unholy alliance of government officials and contractors who engage miscreants to threaten and attack the applicants. Saito Basumuttry of People’s Right Forum at Guwahati came out with this alarming statement. In Manipur, people asking questions under the RTI Act formed a platform in July to put up a united fight against harassment and threats as well as delays and denials in getting replies from the authorities. Officials in Manipur are the worst offenders in this area. Threats or attacks on applicants have become common occurrences.
When the Right to Information Act inspired by activist Aruna Ray was passed in Parliament, it was hoped that a breakthrough had been achieved in ensuring transparency, mainly to fight corruption. But evidently it is not possible to legislate against vested interests which have caught society in their grip for years. Incidents in the Northeastern states bear testimony to this sad truth. All this does not however mean that efforts should not be made to pass such progressive laws. The main thing is to create awareness. Involvement in the Anna Hazare movement across the country should show the way.
