“Order On Mass Graves and Custodial Disappearances Led to New RTI Rules”

KL: Now that you have joined PDP, do you think your job as an RTI activist is over?
RM: No it’s not over. I will be an RTI activist till I am alive. We did RTI activism for seven years. We worked on three fronts of RTI Act. Awareness, advocacy and its implementation. We ensured that a new RTI Act got enacted and the SIC was constituted. We had basically recommended the name of Mr G R Sufi for the Chief Information Commissioner’s post. Now people are using the act to get information and SIC is functioning. At this point, I thought that my job as Convener, J&K RTI Movement, was over and I needed to focus on other issues for which entering politics was very important. I joined PDP which I think is most reasonable political party and people still remember “Woh Teen Saal” of Mufti Sahib.

KL: You started the RTI activism in Kashmir. People came and joined. Now you have joined politics and you will be seen as a mainstream politician. People in general won’t see your actions without motive. How you will manage?
RM: Yes I have a motive to ensure PDP comes to power and gives good governance to people. I ask the people of J&K; is there any other alternative that without electing a government, our roads will be constructed, power will be supplied, and jobs will be provided to people? No. It’s not possible. We have to see which party can deliver and I thought PDP was the only option. We must strengthen the PDP so that we get transparent & clean governance.

KL: As the chief activist of RTI movement in Kashmir, tell us about some interesting experiences. Was there any such moment when the filing of RTI was instrumental in changing the situation?

Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat

RM: I have hundreds of instances. We made a Sarpanch to repay 5.55 lakhs back to government treasury which he had swindled under Indira Awaas Yojna Scheme (IAY). This has never happened. We ensured transparency in IAY cheque distribution. Our RTI activist, Bashir Ahmad Malik of Khag, made CM accountable by seeking details of his official helicopter. The CM curtailed his chopper rides after that.

KL: There is a fresh amendment in the RTI Act 2010 which was made public in recent past. The rules spread over 27 pages stand discarded. Instead, new rules are on only six pages. Was it needed? The state’s chief information commissioner G.R Sofi accused the government of making unnecessary changes to make state information commission (SIC) a “toothless body”. Is this going to create a wedge?
RM: Such changes were made to clip the wings of state information commission which had power to summon top officials including even the Chief Secretary. Mr Sufi had summoned CS, Madhav Lal, in Jammu in connection with non-implementation of section 4 of J&K RTI Act 2009 and the changes in rules are result of that. The government doesn’t want to strengthen institutions like SIC or other commissions like SAC, SHRC etc more