New bills being proposed by the UPA government smacks of attempts to clamp down on democratic processes and transparency that enables these processes. It attempts to sustain the conditions that breed corruption. For all of Dr. Manmohan Singh's 'clean' image, the government must be called on abetting corruption. 

Related Articles
Another Attempt to Dilute RTI
RTI Inspections: Audacity or Moral Courage
RTI a Boon But Needs More Teeth
Attempt to Scuttle RTI
RTI Activist Murdered in Maharashtra
Sacrificing Human Rights And Environmental Rights At The Altar Of “Development”
Attempt to Scuttle RTI

In the last few weeks, we have heard about a number of bills that limit the powers of RTI as well as directly impact the ability of people to learn about policies of the government or participate in them. For example, the UPA government is considering a Bill that will define certain government agencies off limits to RTI - because these functionaries (such as the Judges of the Supreme Court) find it financially inconvenient to have their actions examined by the public.

Another bill where RTI will not be applicable to policies on GM foods and where questions raised or discussions presented on GM foods can be charged with criminal proceedings if not based on science. This latter component is a catch all since GM policies - globally - are themselves not based on science. As a note by the Union of Concerned Scientists (a US based scientific community) points out, much of GM policies do not have the data required to make them scientific.

State governments have now begun to follow the lead of the Central Government and redefine RTI for their own state, characterizing certain agencies and functions as being off limit. For example, the Orissa government has begun such an exercise.

Thus, as each government redefines and limits RTI such that questions are not raised that inconvenience its own agenda that it pursues without due democratic processes. This opens up redefinition to other powerful pressure groups - including various bureaucratic groups, business groups involved in government contracts, etc. In essence, the power of RTI that allowed 'we the people' access to democratic processes and ensured accountability of the government 'of the people' is being murdered.

In this context (as the government continues on a philosophy of making RTI ineffective), various operators and mafia groups find no reason to threaten, and murder, those individuals using RTI to bring to light cases of corruption. The government cannot provide - and will not provide - protection to whistle blowers. Those seeking to weed out pesky RTI activists can do so with impunity.

The government has proactively taken steps to limit public participation in democratic processes. While it was nice to be recognized as the government that empowered Indian citizens with RTI, the Act has given the public too much access, clearly. It is affecting key lobbying groups - for example, policies with respect to GM foods had to be scuttled recently owing to public gaining information through RTI. Surely, lobby groups interested in GM foods were not too pleased.

While Dr Manmohan Singh might have a clean image - someone not having been known to have been bribed - he has to be responsible for his government actively creating an environment for corruption. He must be called out on it.

This is a government that is actively seeking to sustain the breeding grounds of corruption through laws that limit transparency and public participation in democratic processes. This is a government that abets corruption through its policies. A government that builds an environment for corruption is even more guilty than a corrupt government. The public must call the government on it. Starting now.