PALAKKAD: For Chandran Chamy, knowing is believing. And, as an independent candidate in Palakkad’s Chittur Thathamangalam municipality, he redefined grassroots campaigning with his information activism.
In the run-up to the second phase of local-body elections on December 11, as party cadres flooded neighbourhoods with glossy pamphlets, manifestos, and attacks on rivals, the 54-year-old went door-to-door with something far more unusual -- government orders secured through his own relentless use of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
A resident of Puthankalam, near Thathamangalam, Chamy is well-known locally as an RTI activist and social worker. Contesting ward 26 of the municipality, he has placed transparency, citizen rights, and administrative accountability at the centre of his election pitch. For him, the proof of his work lies not in promises, but in documents.
Instead of the familiar political literature boasting achievements or highlighting opponents’ failures, Chamy hands over photocopies of official orders and newspaper clippings that trace the results of his persistent RTI battles. Each sheet is intended to demonstrate how a single citizen, armed with information and determination, can push the system to deliver.
One of the government orders he showcases is related to fee reductions at Akshaya centres for SC/ST families -- a reform he says materialised after sustained follow-up and pressure supported by RTI disclosures. “Another significant win was securing NFBS (National Family Benefit Scheme) eligibility for widows returning to Kerala, enabling them to receive a one-time assistance of `20,000,” Chamy told TNIE.
“These are not claims or promises,” he added. “They are documents that show what information activism can achieve. Over the years, through RTI, I have managed to access several orders and files, which helped me intervene meaningfully in local governance. I want people to understand that democracy works best when citizens stay informed and vigilant.”