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Sakaal Times
Friday, January 15, 2010 AT 06:44 AM (IST)
Threat to activists
Camil Parkhe
Tags: Point of view, Satish Shetty
The gruesome murder of social activist and anti-corruption crusader Satish Shetty on Wednesday was shocking. When the news was flashed on television news channels, it sounded like a warning bell, as if it was heralding a new era of terror in the state. The exact details relating to Shetty's murder are yet to unfold. The events preceding the murder however indicate that Shetty may be a victim of the machinations of the people he had been crusading against for the past few years. And if this is proved to be true, the murder will not augur well for Maharashtra, which for decades has been hailed as one of the most socially and economically progressive and tolerant states in the country.
People living in the State often take pride in the fact that Maharashtra has no visible presence of gun-toting goondas or feudal lords. Social crusaders like Anna Hazare have given much power to the ordinary man to shake the empires of the politicians, bureaucrats or other money lords. Shetty had skillfully used this new weapon of the RTI Act to expose the nexus of government bureaucrats, builders and others. The country has seen examples like Manjunath Shanmugam, who had exposed the network of anti-social elements. He had to pay the price of his life for the mission. In comparison to Shanmugam, Shetty was indeed an ordinary man from a small town, Talegaon Dabhade. But with the power of the Right to Information Act, he had exposed many corrupt practices and posed a threat to many moneyed and powerful individuals.
Maharashtra has no history of poll violence like booth capturing or bogus voting. But recently, some incidents of poll murders have taken place. Business rivalry, especially related to land deals, is leading to more cases of supari killings in Pune and other cities. Terrorism has fortunately not turned its focus on social activism. Shetty's death raises before us an important questions: Is this the beginning of the mafia using its power to suppress social activism in the state and in turn, wipe out its image as a tolerant state. Are we going to allow that to happen? What is the government's role here?
Shetty's killing was almost certainly an attempt to silence him. It signals a warning for the Right to Information movement which has been taking strong roots in the urban as well as rural parts of the state.
The investigation in the case may reach its logical conclusion of punishing the guilty. But how will this incident change the course of the RTI movement. Will it be necessary to provide safety to the activists in the field? Will the movement survive the setback and grow to become a people's movement?
Sakaal Times
Friday, January 15, 2010 AT 06:44 AM (IST)
Threat to activists
Camil Parkhe
Tags: Point of view, Satish Shetty
The gruesome murder of social activist and anti-corruption crusader Satish Shetty on Wednesday was shocking. When the news was flashed on television news channels, it sounded like a warning bell, as if it was heralding a new era of terror in the state. The exact details relating to Shetty's murder are yet to unfold. The events preceding the murder however indicate that Shetty may be a victim of the machinations of the people he had been crusading against for the past few years. And if this is proved to be true, the murder will not augur well for Maharashtra, which for decades has been hailed as one of the most socially and economically progressive and tolerant states in the country.
People living in the State often take pride in the fact that Maharashtra has no visible presence of gun-toting goondas or feudal lords. Social crusaders like Anna Hazare have given much power to the ordinary man to shake the empires of the politicians, bureaucrats or other money lords. Shetty had skillfully used this new weapon of the RTI Act to expose the nexus of government bureaucrats, builders and others. The country has seen examples like Manjunath Shanmugam, who had exposed the network of anti-social elements. He had to pay the price of his life for the mission. In comparison to Shanmugam, Shetty was indeed an ordinary man from a small town, Talegaon Dabhade. But with the power of the Right to Information Act, he had exposed many corrupt practices and posed a threat to many moneyed and powerful individuals.
Maharashtra has no history of poll violence like booth capturing or bogus voting. But recently, some incidents of poll murders have taken place. Business rivalry, especially related to land deals, is leading to more cases of supari killings in Pune and other cities. Terrorism has fortunately not turned its focus on social activism. Shetty's death raises before us an important questions: Is this the beginning of the mafia using its power to suppress social activism in the state and in turn, wipe out its image as a tolerant state. Are we going to allow that to happen? What is the government's role here?
Shetty's killing was almost certainly an attempt to silence him. It signals a warning for the Right to Information movement which has been taking strong roots in the urban as well as rural parts of the state.
The investigation in the case may reach its logical conclusion of punishing the guilty. But how will this incident change the course of the RTI movement. Will it be necessary to provide safety to the activists in the field? Will the movement survive the setback and grow to become a people's movement?
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