What's wrong if RTI Act is used for 'blackmailing' as long as it fights graft, ask activists

Some days ago, when Right to Information (RTI) activist Arun Mane from Talegaon was allegedly attacked, information campaigners termed it an attack on activism. When later Mane retracted his statement and reportedly confessed to faking the attack, it was labelled police coercion.

As a result of such incidents and campaigners' reactions, RTI activists are being labelled blackmailers and publicity seekers by some sections of society.

In the second session of In The Hot Seat, MiD DAY quizzed Vivek Velankar and Vijay Kumbhar, two prominent activists from the city, on RTI activism becoming a 'profession' for a few individuals.

RTI is an important tool, but because of its misuse do you think there will come a time when RTI will not be looked at seriously?

Velankar: Every other act, including the Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code, et cetera, are also being grossly misused. I don't think personal use is a misuse of the RTI Act. We promote personal use of the RTI Act.

If any individual is clean, he has no reasons to worry about the misuse of the act.

It's the first tool for citizens and the misconception about it is wrong, deliberately done by a lobby of hurt bureaucrats, politicians and some information commissioners too.

Is the act being used less and less for social causes?
Kumbhar: If every Indian uses RTI once in lifetime, at least 100 crore problems will be solved. But every citizen is not social. If you say the act should be only used for social cause, the act is gone. People have problems with BSNL, MSEB, passport, RTO, police, what do they do? Earlier they did not have any option, but now people have the tool of RTI to fight injustice.

Looking at the number of attacks on RTI activists, will citizens be afraid of asking questions?
Kumbhar: Yes, people will get scared to ask information under RTI. After (RTI activist Satish) Shetty was killed and his brother forced to leave his native town, how can we expect people like Arun Mane to work fearlessly?

Your opinion on the Arun Mane case ufffd
Kumbhar: Mane has done nothing wrong by withdrawing the case. He has never said that the attack on him was a fake one. He had said that his mother is a heart patient and that there are threats to his brother's small children. Therefore he had asked the police to get some way out, but the cops told him that he had done wrong and there was no evidence of him being attacked. RTI activists will attack by pen, not by sword.
Velankar: The assaults on activists show that the act is being used correctly. People who can't answers questions are resorting to the last option of attacking the activists. Providing police protection to activists is also not the solution to the problem.