RTI Evangelist Arvind Kejriwal's note
Arvind Kejriwal just completed his nation wide tour in US. Although we missed having him at Tempe, however, below is a parting message from him on completing this tour:
30.10.06
Friends:
I have just completed my month long trip to the US. The results are far beyond my expectations.
How did it start? Prithvi invited me to come and speak at IFA annual meet, when he came to Parivartan last year. IFA has been in touch with Parivartan through Prithvi for the last three years. To begin with, the visit was supposed to be for a few days, but when other NGOs and groups in US came to know about it, they also wanted to listen to the experiences related to RTI first hand. Finally the trip got extended to one month with meetings at 15 cities.
What was the purpose of these meetings and what did I try to achieve? RTI has emerged as a very powerful tool in the hands of ordinary people in India to fight bribery and to hold the Government accountable. There are thousands of examples of how very ordinary people are saying no to bribes. Earlier if they did that, they would be harassed to no end. Now, when they use RTI, their work gets done very fast. In many cases, the mere act of seeking information sets many things straight. Roads got repaired, ration shops opened up and started distributing rations and corruption was exposed in many places which forced officers to change their behaviour. My purpose of speaking to NRI community was to sensitize them about the power and potential of RTI - what it has achieved so far and what it can achieve if allowed to function properly. The purpose also was to sensitize them about the dangers to RTI. And then an appeal was made to everyone not to be a mere spectator but to participate in this movement - to save RTI and to spread RTI.
Response everywhere was extremely encouraging. This was evident from two facts - most of the participants stayed till the very end. And the Q & A sessions got extended to almost two hours at many places. Everywhere, people expressed keen desire to know how they could participate in this movement.
One of the many achievements of this trip was the signature campaign done against the functioning of CIC. Central Information Commission (CIC) has been set up to implement RTI and to punish guilty officials. But they had imposed only one penalty in the last one year and were refusing to do so, being themselves former bureaucrats. NRIs were appealed to write to the President of India requesting him to invoke his powers under sec 14 of RTI Act and order investigations into the functioning of CIC. Many NRIs from IFA, AID, ASHA and many other groups and individuals wrote to the President. This fact was reported prominently by the mainstream media including Times of India. When a team of RTI activists went to meet the President last week, he had all these mails received from NRIs in front of him, which meant that he had gone through these mails and was concerned. This made some difference. The CIC has imposed penalties on five officials in the last one week itself!
Earlier, all of us had turned cynics and we would often say in casual conversations that nothing can improve in India. But RTI is giving a ray of hope - for a better future. Many people across the country are giving up their mainstream careers and doing RTI work full-time. They are themselves using RTI and trying to make systemic changes in various issues of governance. They are also spreading RTI by holding workshops in remote parts of the country. These people need to be supported. It was requested to groups and NGOs to institute as many fellowships as possible to provide basic sustenance to such people. IFA has immediately agreed to initiate 5 fellowships. AID has instituted an anti-corruption fund of $50,000 to use it for RTI and NREGA related work. Asha Bay Area expressed a desire to support a few people working on RTI in education. Many chapters of AID and Asha expressed a desire to provide fellowships whenever required.
Though RTI is a historic legislation passed by the Parliament and is making a huge difference, there is much more that needs to be done in addition to RTI in terms of governance reforms. Parivartan plans to set up a separate research Foundation to study and work on these reforms notably reforms of judiciary, vigilance and anti-corruption laws and machinery and local self governing institutions. FDRI, AID and IFA expressed a desire to participate in this effort.
I would end by narrating an incident, which happened during this trip and which really moved me. At the request of Mr. Rao Chalsani, NPR Chicago interviewed me. I received several e-mail's from people after this interview. They were amazed to hear about the power of RTI. One Chicago based woman wrote to me wanting to donate one lakh rupees to Parivartan out of her salary. I wrote back to her giving my cell no. She called back. She and her husband spoke to me for almost an hour. Both of them were emotionally choked and wanted to make a personal gift of one lakh rupees to me. I told them that I don't need money myself and they could donate it to Parivartan, which finally they agreed to do.
There are many such amazing people I met during this trip, who are willing to do anything for their country - but are at a complete loss on what to do. They all saw a ray of hope in RTI.
For me personally, it was a very fulfilling trip. I am not sure whether I was able to inspire others. But I go back myself inspired. After meeting such an amazing set of people. The number of RTI activists has suddenly increased manifold. I look forward to working closely with everyone here and together, I am sure, we WILL make a difference.
I am extremely grateful to IFA for inviting me and making it possible for me to come to US. I am also grateful to all the groups including AID, Asha, ICA, FDRI, IDCA, IIT Foundations etc. for inviting me and organizing meetings at various places with various NRI groups. I am sorry if I left out any name which is not deliberate but just an oversight. I am particularly grateful to all the hosts with whom I stayed at various places. I was so touched by the warmth of their hospitality. I have learnt so much from each one of them. And I look forward to repay their hospitality some time in future, maybe when they visit Delhi.
Thanks a lot and in solidarity
Arvind Kejriwal
30.10.06
Friends:
I have just completed my month long trip to the US. The results are far beyond my expectations.
How did it start? Prithvi invited me to come and speak at IFA annual meet, when he came to Parivartan last year. IFA has been in touch with Parivartan through Prithvi for the last three years. To begin with, the visit was supposed to be for a few days, but when other NGOs and groups in US came to know about it, they also wanted to listen to the experiences related to RTI first hand. Finally the trip got extended to one month with meetings at 15 cities.
What was the purpose of these meetings and what did I try to achieve? RTI has emerged as a very powerful tool in the hands of ordinary people in India to fight bribery and to hold the Government accountable. There are thousands of examples of how very ordinary people are saying no to bribes. Earlier if they did that, they would be harassed to no end. Now, when they use RTI, their work gets done very fast. In many cases, the mere act of seeking information sets many things straight. Roads got repaired, ration shops opened up and started distributing rations and corruption was exposed in many places which forced officers to change their behaviour. My purpose of speaking to NRI community was to sensitize them about the power and potential of RTI - what it has achieved so far and what it can achieve if allowed to function properly. The purpose also was to sensitize them about the dangers to RTI. And then an appeal was made to everyone not to be a mere spectator but to participate in this movement - to save RTI and to spread RTI.
Response everywhere was extremely encouraging. This was evident from two facts - most of the participants stayed till the very end. And the Q & A sessions got extended to almost two hours at many places. Everywhere, people expressed keen desire to know how they could participate in this movement.
One of the many achievements of this trip was the signature campaign done against the functioning of CIC. Central Information Commission (CIC) has been set up to implement RTI and to punish guilty officials. But they had imposed only one penalty in the last one year and were refusing to do so, being themselves former bureaucrats. NRIs were appealed to write to the President of India requesting him to invoke his powers under sec 14 of RTI Act and order investigations into the functioning of CIC. Many NRIs from IFA, AID, ASHA and many other groups and individuals wrote to the President. This fact was reported prominently by the mainstream media including Times of India. When a team of RTI activists went to meet the President last week, he had all these mails received from NRIs in front of him, which meant that he had gone through these mails and was concerned. This made some difference. The CIC has imposed penalties on five officials in the last one week itself!
Earlier, all of us had turned cynics and we would often say in casual conversations that nothing can improve in India. But RTI is giving a ray of hope - for a better future. Many people across the country are giving up their mainstream careers and doing RTI work full-time. They are themselves using RTI and trying to make systemic changes in various issues of governance. They are also spreading RTI by holding workshops in remote parts of the country. These people need to be supported. It was requested to groups and NGOs to institute as many fellowships as possible to provide basic sustenance to such people. IFA has immediately agreed to initiate 5 fellowships. AID has instituted an anti-corruption fund of $50,000 to use it for RTI and NREGA related work. Asha Bay Area expressed a desire to support a few people working on RTI in education. Many chapters of AID and Asha expressed a desire to provide fellowships whenever required.
Though RTI is a historic legislation passed by the Parliament and is making a huge difference, there is much more that needs to be done in addition to RTI in terms of governance reforms. Parivartan plans to set up a separate research Foundation to study and work on these reforms notably reforms of judiciary, vigilance and anti-corruption laws and machinery and local self governing institutions. FDRI, AID and IFA expressed a desire to participate in this effort.
I would end by narrating an incident, which happened during this trip and which really moved me. At the request of Mr. Rao Chalsani, NPR Chicago interviewed me. I received several e-mail's from people after this interview. They were amazed to hear about the power of RTI. One Chicago based woman wrote to me wanting to donate one lakh rupees to Parivartan out of her salary. I wrote back to her giving my cell no. She called back. She and her husband spoke to me for almost an hour. Both of them were emotionally choked and wanted to make a personal gift of one lakh rupees to me. I told them that I don't need money myself and they could donate it to Parivartan, which finally they agreed to do.
There are many such amazing people I met during this trip, who are willing to do anything for their country - but are at a complete loss on what to do. They all saw a ray of hope in RTI.
For me personally, it was a very fulfilling trip. I am not sure whether I was able to inspire others. But I go back myself inspired. After meeting such an amazing set of people. The number of RTI activists has suddenly increased manifold. I look forward to working closely with everyone here and together, I am sure, we WILL make a difference.
I am extremely grateful to IFA for inviting me and making it possible for me to come to US. I am also grateful to all the groups including AID, Asha, ICA, FDRI, IDCA, IIT Foundations etc. for inviting me and organizing meetings at various places with various NRI groups. I am sorry if I left out any name which is not deliberate but just an oversight. I am particularly grateful to all the hosts with whom I stayed at various places. I was so touched by the warmth of their hospitality. I have learnt so much from each one of them. And I look forward to repay their hospitality some time in future, maybe when they visit Delhi.
Thanks a lot and in solidarity
Arvind Kejriwal
posted by Pallavi @ 10/30/2006 10:01:00 PM
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