When the Right to Information Act was passed in 2005, it was widely recognised as a landmark law aimed at increasing transparency in government. In the 21 years since, governments across the country have found ways to wriggle out of compliance through wordplay, wilful obfuscation and long delays. Yet, even in this context, the Tamil Nadu government’s recent attempt to exempt the law and order department from the Act is egregious. The state’s government order dated September 21 invoked Section 24 (4) of the RTI Act to designate the department as an ‘intelligence and security organisation’ to exempt it from information requests. Hours after the order came to light, the four-month-old TVK government revoked it following an outcry from political parties including its allies and civil society activists.
However, before its revocation, the government sought to defend the move as merely shielding sensitive information related to communal issues. This was a misrepresentation of a move that would have put a lid on information related to custodial torture and deaths, communal clashes, police firings, monthly law and order review meetings and more. In a state where police high-handedness has continued regardless of the party in power, the bid to put these acts beyond public scrutiny—often the only check on uniformed personnel—betrays a worrying anti-democratic impulse. This tendency is also visible in the government’s attempt to keep the media at a distance by barring entry to government events attended by the Chief Minister.
The TVK is a young party, having come to power just two years after its formation with a youthful leadership and cadre base. Its sweep into power in its very first electoral foray indicates a groundswell of goodwill among the electorate. However, its stated commitment to running a transparent, non-corrupt government can only be realised by facilitating a better flow of information—the antidote to corruption—to the people.
The TVK is well placed to follow through on this, given its relative lack of baggage compared to the Dravidian parties that ruled the state for decades. To this end, it should set aside the impulse towards secrecy and focus on filling vacancies in the State Information Commission and strengthening the government departments’ compliance with the RTI Act in letter and spirit.