Right to Information is the right of the citizens of the country, under which the citizens can obtain any information from any government body or governmental institution. Many countries in the world came up with new laws regarding this right. In India too, belated though, RTIAct came into effect in the year 2005. Earlier, getting information from any government institution was something unimaginable, however after the RTIAct, any person, by filing an application with a nominal fee, can get the required information in a short span of time, which can further be used for the solution of problems related to an individual or to the whole of the community.
Considering this benefit of the Act, AfrozAlamSahil, a member of Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, compiled a book SoochnakaAdhikar and the Jamaat’sDepartment for National and Community Issues published the book so that every individual becomes aware of the benefits of the Act and gets a fair knowledge as to how this Act can be used.
The first issue the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind raised was the issue of human rights and the Department for National and Community Issues tried to collect all the information regarding those who are behind bars and the reasons for their detention. The start proved to be positive and the Jamaat collected loads of information regarding the matter, the analysis of which will be done soon.
The Jamaat also tried to get information from Mumbai Municipal Corporation regarding the Waqf land, on which MukeshAmbani is alleged to have built a 25-storied palatial building. Although the attitude of the Municipal Corporation was to avoid the issue yet the task taken up by the Jamaat to draw the attention of the central and state governments towards the paramount and yet oblivious issues, is going with a steady and constant pace. So far around 150 RTIs have been filed related to important issues, some of which are mentioned below:
Information regarding mosques coming under the Archaeological Survey of India, has been sought and now RTI is being used to draw the attention of the authorities towards protection and maintaining sanctity of some particular mosques in Delhi namely Khidki Mosque, Begumpur Mosque, Masjid Moth, KotlaMubarakpur Mosque, Masjid Madrasa Safdarjang, etc. The issue of encroachment of areas falling within the premises of the mosques is also being dealt with. Recently this writer along with some his associates called on the Superintending Archaeologist K.K. Muhammad and appealed to him to improve the condition of the mosques in Delhi.
The Jamaat, particularly in Delhi, is doing a constant struggle in order to save the remaining Waqf lands and properties, where more than 300 Waqf properties are illegally and unlawfully occupied by either the government or other institutions. The demands of reclaiming the lands and Waqfproperties are being made with the help of the RTIAct.
In the year 1976, with the efforts of this writer and his associates, an old mosque named “Masjid Meher Ali Shah”, located in KachchaBagh, near Town Hall in ChandniChowk area, was taken over from a non-Muslim. However Maulana Naseer Ahmed, who was appointed Imam of the mosque, constructed his home in the mosque and today even after his death, his family is reluctant to give up the possession of the mosque. The issue is being publicised by letters and press statements. Similar efforts had been made for the demolition of the illegal Kamran Lodge which was built in Masjid QaziWali in the PaharGanj area; the efforts alhamdulillahproved to be successful.However, recently another illegal construction with the name of “Kamran Handicraft” has been done in the mosque.
In the same area, a spacious mosque named Masjid ShuraKothi is illegally occupied by a non-Muslim, who runs his furniture factory from inside the mosque. There is another mosque which has been turned into the residence of a non-Muslim. An RTI has been filed and all the information has been soughtregarding the illegal occupation on all the properties of the Waqf Board. The State Governments have also been asked regarding their illegal occupation of the lands of Waqf Board.
Some graveyards have been also illegally occupied and have attained a contentious position; hence information sought from the Waqf Board through RTI as to how many graveyards were present, how many are under adverse possession, and how many are fenced, etc. Similar questions have been put before other state governments and answers are being sought. Pressure is being built, under the legal provisions of the RTI, on the Waqf Boards and State Governments to seek information regarding those questions; but they are avoiding.
In the year 1964, the Government allotted to Muslims 14 acres of land near Sarai Kale Khan for the graveyard. This land remained with the Waqf Board and bore the name of the Waqf. Later DDA conspired and tried to get away with 10 acres of land and the incompetent Waqf Board is now assuming and making people believe that only 4 acres, instead of 14, was allotted for the graveyard. Thiswriter, while taking a stern stance, filed an RTI and drew the attention of the Waqf Board to safeguard the complete 14 acre land. Many newspapers have also highlighted the concern of the Jamaat. In this regard many letters have been sent to various concerned individuals namely, Central Minister Salman Khurshid, Mr. Kamal Nath, Delhi Chief Minister ShielaDikhshit, State Minister RajkumarChouhan, Secretary of Central Waqf Council Dr. M.R. Haq, Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board, Chairman of Central Minority Commission and Chairman of Delhi Minority Commission. In response to one of the RTIs, DDA itself could not come up with the proofs to support its claim over 10 acres land, legally belonging to Waqf. Hence with the help of RTIs, pressure is being built on the WaqfBoard to secure the complete 14 acres of land allotted by the Government.
In independent India, the curse of communal riots affecting Muslims does not seem to end. Killing and maiming of the people and destroying their properties and honour have become the order of the day, particularly after 1947. Victims have never been empathised with, nor were any attempts made to bring the culprits to justice. The Jamaat tried to use the RTI in this regard as well.
Although the number of communal riots in the country is innumerable, however RTIs have been filed in some of the riots, namely Bhagalpur Riots, Bombay Riots, Meerut Riots, Gujarat Riots, 1984 anti-Sikh Riots, Muslim persecution in Kashmir, etc., to fetch information from the state governments regarding the number of those dead, wounded and affected, and about the payment of compensation to the wounded and affected. The RTIs are proving to be beneficial in pressurising the governments and making them work for the welfare, to which the governments were otherwise reluctant. The information regarding the anti-Sikh Riots has been received and this would give us a fair idea as to how much compensation our Sikh brothers received in lieu of the destruction of their lives and properties and how much Muslims get.
Many state governments announced several programmes for the development of the Minority Concentrated Districts; hence all the governments have been asked in this regard through RTI to come up with the details of the welfare work done so far, and their future plans. This move would give a fair idea about the extent of welfare done or corruption therein.
RTI is being used to get information regarding the follow-up of various schemes coming under Minority Welfare Departments in different states and whether they are doing anything for the welfare of Muslims or whether all these schemes are just eyewash. Reports from some of the states have been received.
Different RTIs have been filed to fetch information regarding the status of the Urdu language in certain states and the states’ efforts in the development of the language. Information regarding the facilities of libraries and the establishment of Urdu Academies has also been sought through RTI.
Information has been sought from the Government of U.P. regarding the number of people who post-graduated in Urdu and the number of teachers recruited in the past 10 years, hence getting an idea as to how many Muslims are being benefited from the recruitments.
The Supreme Court asked all the state governments to collect details regarding the illegal construction of places of worship on public land and asked them to frame policies and laws to raze all the illegal constructions. Information was sought regarding the illegal construction on the lands of MCD, Railway, CPWD, PWD, etc. and the reports received were shocking.
It was DDA which first named the Delhi’s famous Millennium Park and then shrewdly changed it to Indraprastha Park. This issue is being traced relentlessly using RTI and efforts are being made to let this park get back its original name i.e. Millennium Park.
MCD has been veered by filing an RTI to work for the betterment of Old Delhi area.
In Punjab, Wasil Khan, a resident of Bihar, was kept in jail for 8 years on charges of murder and of being a Pakistani citizen. A court however declared him Indian, and freed him; hence an RTI is being used in this case to get compensation for the victim from the Government of Punjab.
In order to bring the silent persecution of women to an end and save them from unnecessary operation, an RTI has been filed to get information about the cases of caesarean and natural births that have taken place in the private and government hospitals in the past five years.
Rising amount of filth and pollution in the Yamuna River has always remained a concern for the local people. An RTI has been filed to seek information about the past efforts to clean the river and the future plans of the government in this regard.
To further protect the environment from getting polluted, an RTI has been filed to seek information regarding the number of ponds and illegal occupation of ponds by the locals in UP. Hence in this way Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is making concerted efforts to get the national and community issues solved. The problems of the people of India, and in particular of Muslims, need an extraordinary and long struggle and RTI can come handy in solving various problems of the people.
[The writer is Assistant Secretary Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. This article is translation from Urdu by Kamran Shahid Ansari]