Non resident Indian (NRI) Suresh Ediga is against the dilution of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. The Union cabinet has already given its approval to a series of amendments to the hugely-popular law, one of which says funding of political parties should be kept outside the ambit of the sunshine law.
The 36-year-old software engineer is leading a team of NRIs and using all available avenues to dissuade members of India’s Parliament from passing the amendments. There are indications that the amendments will be pushed through during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.
Ever since July 30 Ediga and his associates have been making calls to MPs, asking them to oppose the amendments. They have also been trying to create public opinion in India against the amendments.
What is worrying Ediga, who is based in New York, and other RTI activists is that, except for a few, parties across the political spectrum have ganged up to dilute the Act after the Central Information Commission (CIC) ruled in June this year that parties are covered by the RTI, specially with regard to their funding.
Former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi and activists like Chetan Kothari and Bhaskar Prabhu are also campaigning against the amendments.
Excerpts from an interview with Suresh Ediga
You have been calling MPs, asking them to oppose the proposed amendments to the RTI. How has the response been?
Very good. I had called some people during the Jan Lok Pal movement also. This time I have already called 200 MPs. Of these, 40 spoke to me. While most stated that it should not be amended, they would finally follow their party line. Some were suspicious, others were delighted that despite living in New York, I was concerned about my country.
What was the response of prominent leaders? What about Mumbai MPs?
I contacted LK Advani’s office. I was given a time to call, which I did. But I was asked to email my request. He eventually did not reply. Rahul Gandhi’s office was worse. The call always went through to an answering machine. P Chidambaram’s secretary was angry for being called directly. Sitaram Yechuri was not willing to talk as I was not his party member. He thanked me for the concern though, and then hung up. Supriya Sule was too busy to talk.
Mumbai MPs I do not remember if I have called any. Narendra Modi and Akhilesh Yadav I have not yet spoken to. Sharad Yadav said he would meet RTI activists. TDP and TMC said that they were against the amendments.
Were you scared of not getting any response from the MPs?
I did not even expect them to answer my calls. I felt I should do this and raise my concern against diluting the act and register my protest or complaint with the MPs. I would tell people back home that it is not important if MPs cannot even take your call. What is more important is that we call and convey to them that we find something wrong in what they are doing.
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