SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills District Administration on Wednesday assured protection to young RTI Activist, Alaric Lyngdoh who became a victim of harassment for filing an RTI seeking information on the progress of the construction of an internal road at Laitkor Rngi.
Lyngdoh, who met the Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal on Wednesday, sought the protection of the District Administration in this connection while asking him to keep track of cases where RTI activists are harassed by the Dorbar and other groups in many places especially in rural areas.
Lyngdoh had filed an FIR with the East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang on Tuesday stating that the Rangbah Shnong in the presence of the Nongkrem MLA, Ardent Basaiawmoit had decided to ostracize him from the village during a meeting held on Tuesday.
According to the FIR, Lyngdoh was informed by the Dorbar Shnong that his family members should not return home because there were groups of people waiting for them with the intention of ‘harming them’. The complainant was also threatened to withdraw his RTI application by the Rangbah Shnong and other members of the Dorbar.
“The DC had assured to provide protection to me and my family and I feel that no other RTI activists should undergo hard times and harassment only because they want to extract information from the department concerned, following the irregularity in many schemes,” Lyngdoh said.
RTI activists support victim
Meanwhile, Right To Information Activist, Michael Syiem has condemned the decision of the Dorbar Shnong of Laitkor Rngi to ostracize an RTI applicant who had sought to know details on the progress of the construction of an internal road in the area.
According to Syiem, an RTI applicant does not need the permission of the Dorbar to file and RTI because this is the right empowered to every citizen of the State.
“The young man has every right to know what is going on in his locality and if he is not suspicious about how things go, he has the right to file an RTI,” Syiem said.
The RTI activist also informed that this is not the first case in the State as the same is witnessed in many places especially in rural areas where RTI applicants are often threatened by the Dorbars or the higher-ups.
“People should understand that this right is very powerful as it is a weapon to keep track of developmental activities in the State and also in unearthing many irregularities in various fields,” Syiem said adding that the efforts to fight for the welfare of the people and the society should be supported and encouraged and not be subdued in any manner.
