Assault on RTI activist Dr. Sheikh Ghulam Rasool – Letter from Muzaffar Bhat to Governor – 23 Nov. 2009

November 23, 2009

His Excellency Shri N N Vohra
The Governor of Jammu & Kashmir
Raj Bhavan, Jammu

Re.: Harassment of RTI Activists at Budgam
Sir,

Kindly recall my meeting with you last month at Raj Bhaven Srinagar. As you know, our group is involved in promoting good governance and transparency by raising awareness about the Right to Information (RTI) Act. To that end, we have been educating citizens of our state, and particularly rural populations, about their right under RTI for several years. Our work has been recognized at both national and international levels.

Over the past two years, we have focused on the upper reaches of district Budgam, as these areas are some of the most neglected in the state. Funding appropriated under various centrally sponsored schemes hardly ever reaches there. For example, there has been mass bungling in allotment of money to construct houses for those people living below the poverty line [BPL category] under Indira Awaas Yojna [IAY]. The Khansahib block in Budgam is one rural development block where there has been much political interference in selection of IAY beneficiaries. From 2002 to date, IAY money has been allotted to people who already have big houses and a good amount of land. The locals don’t know that IAY is a centrally sponsored scheme. Instead, they think that it is charity provided by the local MLA.

Since we started educating people about RTI, several have used RTI to seek details about IAY beneficiaries from the local BDO office. The local MLA, his brother, and some close associates are now furious and are creating trouble for our local volunteers, most of whom are very poor and illiterate. Similarly, our volunteers, including Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, have filed applications with the Forest Department of Budgam about action taken by the local Forest Department against timber smugglers, who mostly are political workers of the MLA of Khansahib. Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool treats poor people of this area on Sundays in addition to assisting them with filing RTI applications. Unfortunately and most disturbingly, he was physically assaulted and abused by two contractors, Ghulam Mohammed Pathan alias Gulla Pathaan and his associate Yasin Najar alias Yasin Chaan, both residents of Mujpathree Khansahib, on Saturday evening, 21st November 2009, at Mujpathree Khansahib block of Budgam district. On Sunday, 22 nd November 2009, they then went to the local MLA’s brother and hatched a conspiracy to implicate Dr Sheikh Ghulam Rasool in a false police case at Khansahib Police Station. A complaint against Dr. Sheikh has been filed citing completely false and fabricated charges just to harass him and to prompt him to cease his work.

Keeping in view all the real facts , I appeal to your good self to intervene into this matter at the earliest and to also probe the sanctioning of money for construction of houses under IAY in Khansahib since 2002. In addition, the SSP of Budgam should be directed not to succumb to pressure from the MLA of Khansahib and his relatives to initiate action a23gainst any of out volunteers on false charges.

Yours faithfully

Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Convener
J&K RTI Movement
Contact Number:9419562190
Email: budgam_social@rediffmail.com

Cc: Honorable Chief Minister, J & K
Shri Wajahat Habibullah, CIC
Chief Secretary, J & K Government
FC Home, J & K Government
DGP, J & K Government