Abhinandan Sekhri at it again

For Your Information:

Tuesday June 9, 2009 , New Delhi


Voted? Nice? Didn't spend polling day sleeping? Being empowered is fun right? Now for those of you who still want to be awake for the next 5 years might I offer a cuppa. It's called The Right To Information (RTI) Act, an act that allows you to hold the government accountable all year round. So no waiting for five years to feel empowered and get involved with the democratic process. Stick out your finger anytime you like to be counted and without getting that dirty brown ink on your manicured hand either. Sound fun? It is.

The UK parliament has been rocked, and seriously rocked by the expenses scandal. Although the misuse of allowances is across party-lines Brown and Labour are bearing the brunt. A stint almost as unremarkable as John Majors may be coming to a quick end. If you thought the disgraceful episode was bad, here it gets verse.

Expense and allowances for policy makers - where could they be
Reluctant to disclose them, Goodness Gracious Me.
Leaked to the medial by some old fruity.
And out they come tumbling Goodness Gracious Me.
Mortgages on homes in the market place flipped
Personal swimming pools cleaned and estate hedges clipped
Ski holidays, flat screen TVs and allowances spent on renting porn
And not by the education minister either to check how babies are born.
All that hard earned tax money, is this where it be?
My word. Goodness Gracious Me!

Well I hope those films were worth it. The speaker of the House of Commons will be stepping down on the 21st of June. 4 cabinet ministers have resigned already, more on the way. Public disgust and anger about this aristocracy makes MPs coy and low key, trying not to be seen in public or on TV. And it's not like you'd have Brit throw a shoe. Now that would be so rude and....American... or Indian... but basically that's what information does.

Ever wondered how your and my tax rupees are spent? Ever wondered how much we spend in maintaining the homes of those appointed to serve us? Ever wondered why some roads are repaired three times a year and some never? Ever wondered how transfers and appointments of cops, babus etc. happen? Or what's the budget outlay to clean your neighborhood drains and who won the contract and for how much? Or who cleared the file for a disastrous project?

Well some did wonder and filed RTI applications to find out, and came back with startling results. And no five year wait either. Imagine that. It's like voting everyday and holding someone accountable. Some RTI applications influenced policy, some forced departments to set up guidelines where there were none. Some just got people working.

This year we start the National RTI Awards to acknowledge those men and women who were awake all 5 years. Not just citizens but Public Information officers of the government of India as well as information commissioner. Nomination open now and the award ceremony will be in November.

"Traveling on rough roads, pebbles get stuck in the wheels sometime. At times mud jams them. The wheels crackle and screech, make noises, but the journey has to go on. To keep the wheels of Democracy moving, and moving smoothly, people have to play their part in tending to the road and the wheels alike. Sometimes you have to clear the roads, and other times remove little pebbles from the wheels. We mean to honor those people who help the wheels of Democracy keep moving in our country. " Not my words, I wish I were that eloquent. That's what the master wordsmith and Oscar winner Gulzar wrote for us. Many other have contributed in small and large ways to make these awards an event that matters.

You can contribute too. For your sake and your families and for the sake of democracy you don't have to wake up every 5 years for election time bed tea. RTI is your coffee, your tea to keep you awake. Use it, its decaf, low sugar, invigorating and may just win you an award next year - just for your information, and all of ours.

For details log onto rti.ndtv.com


Courtesy NDTV and The Cynical Optimist