By our reporter
Shillong: Is the health of a public figure a private matter? Where should the line between private and public life of those who govern us be drawn?
These are questions that will be debated across the country after the Prime Minister recently called for a fine balance between right to information and right to privacy.
The issue cropped up after Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, sought details of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s foreign travel bills, which include those for health reasons. The Prime Minister said the citizens’ right to know should “definitely be circumscribed” if disclosure of information encroaches upon someone’s personal privacy.
But where to draw the line is a complicated question he said, although he did not mention Modi’s demand.
The Shillong Times took the opinion of RTI activists and other professionals in the matter.
According to RTI activist Micheal Syiem, if a public figure goes to a foreign country for medical treatment, people have the right to know whether it is at government expense.
Even NGOs which are partially funded by government come under the ambit of the RTI, Syiem stated adding that if the expenses are personal then public figures do have a right to their privacy.
Syiem also stated that when it comes to the health status of a public figure, or of someone influential, the public will want to know about it.
They would be interested to know whether the person is going for a physical or mental check up.
Leaders themselves should clarify this to the public so that people feel confident that they are being governed by healthy officials who are not mentally unstable.
Another RTI activist Angela Rangad said, “Information about travel bills is not a problem, especially if it is in public interest. But, in this case I do not think it serves any public interest. Even though Sonia Gandhi is in a decision making role we are not living in a dictatorship.
The government works as a collective. Some leaders in South America have revealed information about their health, but it was voluntary, Sonia Gandhi should not be forced to reveal her illness.
It is very important and very clear that the line between public and private should not be crossed. There should be a privacy bill even against tapping of phones.
Senior advocate VGK Kynta says he agrees with the Prime Minister. “If money from the public exchequer is used, then information will have to be given.
“Expenses can be disclosed, but illness and especially the health of a woman should not be disclosed. If personal funds are used then even public figures have a right to privacy, beyond the domain of the public eye.
Meanwhile Dr. Glen Kharkongor, Vice Chancellor, Martin Luther Christian University said that Sonia Gandhi is a public figure so it is subjective.
“If the travel is for an official purpose and in public interest then RTI could be invoked. In this case the travel expenses should be shared but not the purpose or content of the visit.”
Section 8 of the RTI Act mentions situations in which the information in response to an application may not be given.
In the context of this debate it says, “information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information.”