It was not for babus or corrupt politicians that the Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed in 2005. When the act came into existence, the common man found it a very powerful tool to expose corruption in the government and soon, many poor people used RTI applications to trap the mighty and powerful in the RTI net. Gopalakrishnan Velu, an unemployed engineering graduate in Chennai filed thousands of RTI applications to expose the land scam engineered by the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. He also meticulously tracked the violations committed by the judges of the Madras High Court. The anti-nuclear protesters in Koodankulam used RTIs to tell us how the government diluted the safety norms to commission the nuclear plant. The information gathered helped them to fight their case in the Supreme Court. Many others including journalists used the RTI to tell the truth. I became a great fan of the act when the poor and the silenced won their battles against the most powerful people through RTI. I was thrilled to find many Davids fighting Goliaths with RTI applications. It was a great step for democracy where everything is supposed to be transparent through checks and balances within the system. But the politicians were intelligent enough to sense the looming threat to their power. They have their own ways of circumventing the laws and taking short cuts that ensure their place in the thrones of power. They found Information Commissions suitable to reward their cronies and gifted the posts of Information Commissioners to their loyalists. Soon, retired civil servants, social activists including journalists were nominated as Information Commissioners to serve the people and their masters for a handsome salary. It was all former Chief Secretaries and DGPs heading Information Commissions in the state as Chief Information Commissioners (CICs). Kerala also constituted the Information Commission and offered the chair to the retired Chief Secretary Palat Mohandas and appointed Dr K Rajagopal, VV Giri, PN Vijayakumar and P Faziluddin as Commissioners. Faziluddin was a senior journalist who was closely associated with Indian Union Muslim League leaders in the state During the tenure of the Left-front government headed by VS Achuthanandan, a serving DGP was appointed as CIC and retired DIG K Natarajan was appointed as Information Commissioner. The choice of the government surprised many who wondered if the government was going to make Information Commissions another wing of the state police (Crime Branch). The then Governor RS Gavai returned the file to the government seeking more clarification on the pending vigilance case against K Natarajan. The vigilance commission had registered the case against Natarajan on the allegations that he had pocketed a large quantity of gold recovered from a thief during his tenure as a police officer in Thiruvalla. The government further smoothened the way for the appointment by clarifying the issues. Maybe the CPI (M) leaders thought two police officers would make a perfect combination in the Information Commission for the party to hit out with selective leaks during the factional war. Later the CPI demanded its due share in the commission and got two members appointed. One post went to a former youth leader and another was gifted to an IAS officer who was loyal to the party. When Oommen Chandy replaced VS as Chief Minister, KM Mani from the Kerala Congress (M) demanded his share. He campaigned for his nominee and managed to secure a spot for him in the Information Commission. There is no doubt that all of them had the basic qualifications to serve in their respective posts. But more than their professional qualifications, it was their political affiliations and proximity to power centres that enabled them to win the coveted posts. Now a controversy has hit the Information Commission in Kerala when K Natarajan, the current Information Commissioner and former DIG telephoned the Vigilance Deputy Superintendent of Police, VG Kunjan to absolve VS Achuthanandan in the Kasargod Land scam. The Vigilance Department had registered the case against VS for transferring government land and violating norms. Kunjan recorded the telephone conversation of theInformation Commissioner and submitted it to the Director Vigilance after which, the government ordered a probe. Expectedly, VS has disowned Natarajan and distanced himself from the scandal by saying that he needs nobody's help. The case is listed for hearing on October 17 while Natarajan is on a Gulf tour. But the issue has exposed the unholy nexus between civil servants and politicians who work for their personal gains. Kerala branded 89-year-old VS as a leader who had fought against corruption in the government and within his party. His aggressive postures against land and the sex mafia ruling in the state, made him one of the most popular and powerful leaders. But the telephone controversy has certainly damaged his image. It was VS Achuthanandan who wanted to nominate Natarajan as Information Commissioner who was a frequent visitor to VS' official residence. Natarajan was known to VS since his student days as he was active leader of SFI and DY FI. Now VS has stated that some of his party men were also involved in the conspiracy to trap him in the land scam. The controversy has taken a political turn as the Congress leaders approached the Governor demanding that he expel Natarajan from the post of Information Commissioner. Whatever may be the end of the controversy, it has eroded the fifth pillar of democracy. The true cronies are least bothered about the common man. For them, their (political) leaders are their masters. They owe them too much. |
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