RTI climax and empowered citizens

Free Thinker *

What was the IQ level of Mahatma Gandhi? What is the mobile phone number of the Prime Minister? Whether Narender Modi was part of any Ram Lilla Troupe & what role did he play? How many trees are green in the Capital and how many are dead? What is the price of time as per Ramayana & Mahabharata?

Why are my ladoos not reaching the President of the United States of America? How many times the Governor visits temple in a day? Why election symbols in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are in black and white? Someone is seeking information about the marriageable girls in the government departments of Tamil Nadu! These are factually recorded fantastic RTI queries coming from the citizens of this great country? (Courtesy, The Indian Express & The Economic Times).

You need a Birbal or a Bizandoo to give replies to these mind stunning quires? The IQ level of Gandhiji was not measured but it is quite evident that his IQ must be much higher than the surviving… . Prime Minister does not use mobile phone (may be for selfie). Ram Lilla information is not maintained but the possibility of playing a crucial role is not ruled out. Just before the Commonwealth Games a million green trees were implanted in the Capital but now most of them are dead.

Long long ago so long ago nobody knows how long ago but during Ramayana and Mahabharata there was no concept of time but only ‘samme’. Regarding ladoos for the US President, we are not accountable for postal delays in America.

Governor has a temple inside his living room and we really don’t know how many times he goes there every day. EVM election symbols are in black and white because it is neutral; if it is yellow you will say ‘safronization’, if it is green you will say ‘minority-appeasement’ and if it is red you will cry ‘communist-lining’.

Information about the marriageable girls in Tamil Nadu government departments is not available but from now onwards they are advised to maintain this vital information in the interest of the interested citizens.

The primary objective of RTI Act is to empower the citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government, curb corruption and make democracy stronger and sensible. This law is a humongous step towards making the citizens more aware and more informed about the working of the government and public authorities.

The Government of India and the State governments have been receiving hundreds of thousands of RTI applications and most of them are frivolous, mala fide, personal, black-mailing-type; and some queries are only meant for embarrassing or running down a public office / authority/ personality.

For instance, why was the Education minister shifted to a different ministry? In RTI, personal questions are not entertained. But sometimes in public interest the replies are spontaneously fired. “Kusa to log kaheng ge, lo gog ka kaam m he kahena”. There is confusion whether this query relates to the Union or the State? Anyway the reply has been sung.

Furnish info about liquor selling counters/joints in the city? The number of British sepoys killed in the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891? The amount of money eaten by Loktak lake? Is Polo really and originally originated from Manipur? Whether Umorok is the hottest chilli in the world? Can anyone from the northeast become Prime Minister of India? Can we eat whatever we want to eat except human? Who was the first Union Cabinet minister from Manipur?

Another RTI query from the concerned citizens, whether it is a fact that the people of Manipur are paying maximum number of taxes (statutory & non-statutory, legal or otherwise) as compared to the people of other States? Whether it is a fact that the cost of living in the State of Manipur is highest in the country?

These are manufactured and mala fide queries which do not deserve any reply. However in public interest we are giving some replies. The issue of liquor-selling does not arise as we are a dry State but again in public interest there may be some selling here and there, and no record is maintainable for that.

For Anglo-Manipuri war, the British casualties were innumerable (pieces could not be counted) as indicated in our oral tradition like Khongjomprabas. Loktak is not eating money instead it generates both power and money.

Sagol Kangjei which is a proto-type of Polo was originated from Manipur but the modern game of Polo was started by the Britishers in Cachhar. Yes, Umorok is the hottest chilli in the world, anyone who contests this claim may eat it and verify. Of course anyone from NE can become PM, have you forgotten Mammohanji?, he is from Assam.

However, the replies of the remaining queries cannot be given because the information are of sensitive nature and also seemingly compromised with sentimental security.

It is high time to review the RTI Act or the rules in order to save time, money and energy of the government and public authorities. Seeking information just for the sake of it must be discouraged; there ought to be a bona fide purpose for seeking the information. You will be surprised to know that there is a competition going on in the country as well as in the States vis-a-vis the number of RTI applications filed by an activist.

I am not saying that RTI is bad and it should be done away with, but what I am saying is that only the genuinely required information may be sought. Now, it should be made compulsory to declare the purpose, necessity, intention and object of a RTI query by the applicant?

Non-sense, frivolous, malicious and mala fide RTI applications must be rejected outright and at the same time the applicants should be pulled up and punished/ fined for doing so. But a genuine RTI query like the following one may be replied: whether the CM eats the mangoes from the famous mangoe-tree inside the CM Bungalow?