Empowering millions of citizens through information, Right to information Act, introduced in 2005 gave new meaning to the moto seek and you shall find. On Tuesday, Bhopal-based activist Shehla Masood became the latest victim of a rising trend of attacks who tried to expose wrongdoings through the information disclosure law. In 2010 alone, atleast 10 RTI activists were killed, in fact in revenge attacks.
Masood was shot dead in broad daylight by unidentified assailants as she was getting into a car which was parked outside her house in Bhopal's Koh-e-Fiza neighbourhood. There were no immediate suspects but the police doubts that her campaign for wildlife and tiger conservation might have hurted some vested interests.
The killing came on a day when ten of thousands of people rallied across the country in support of Anna Hazare and his campaign for a stronger anti-graft law.
Masood was also enlisting support for Hazare in Bhopal. Her death has put the spotlight on the need for a stronger regime to protect whistleblowers and RTI activists.
Sumaira Abdulali of MITRA, which is a campaign against intimidation and threats to rights activists, after every such incident, there are promises and press reports made by the government. Instead of gun-toting policemen for protection, we need an environment where ordinary citizens can take up issues without the fear of being attacked or killed.
The organisation had sent a letter to the home minister listing such assaults.
Besides physical attacks, RTI activists are strongly harassed and slapped with fraudulent cases to make sure they do not speak up.
Shekhar Singh, RTI activist and founder member of the National Campaign for people's Right to Information aid that the only deterrent against such attack is to quickly make public the information that the activist was trying to get out. When those with vested interests realise that such attacks will only expose them quicker, they will refrain from them.
News Reported by AR for News Vision
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