RTI Crusader reluctant to provide information

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself” (Leo Tolstoy).

This appears to be the story of Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), the organisation that claims to work for ‘just, transparent, accountable and participatory governance’. Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist had filed an application under Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005 seeking information from the PCRF relating to funding and other details of the RTI Awards 2009, organised by PCRF.

Magsaysay awardee Arvind Kejriwal, the moving force behind the organisation, had said in the media that PCRF does not come under RTI purview, but he would still furnish information for transparency. However, the one month period within which an authority needs to reply has long passed. An aggrieved Afroz has accordingly filed the first application after waiting for few extra days. In the application, a copy of which is available with this reporter, the appellant has explained, that although not for profit organisations like PCRF does not come under RTI, but as torchbearer of the information revolution, they should come clear on their accounts too.

“I have nothing personal either against PCRF, Arvind Kejriwal, or Parivartan (the NGO that he runs). In fact I have great respect for him... But I have made a list of prominent organisations and activists, including Aruna Roy, that work for RTI revolution across country and have filed applications to them all to set examples to government authorities,” said Afroz.

National RTI Awards 2009, the first of its kind, was in controversy right from the day it was announced. Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah had called it “shamelessly demeaning” and said that information commissioners would not accept awards as they “are not school children” (IE-Nov 20).

Several activists have also accused Arvind Kejriwal of handpicking nominees and in many cases awarding incompetent persons. It is like an ‘eyewash...deliberately promoting some at the cost of others’.

Interestingly the website of the PCRF has copies of audit returns filed for the past two financial years, but it has no details of funds that it receives. It however, does mention that in partnership with other activists, that include former Journalist Manish Sisodia and TV producer and writer Abhinandan Sekhri, Kejriwal started the foundation with the with the Magsaysay award money as ‘corpus fund’.