Indian political and social activist Aruna Roy has many feathers in her cap. A former Indian Administrative Service officer, Roy founded the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) along with Shankar Singh, Nikhil Dey and many others, after quitting the civil service. She has, throughout her life, worked for the vulnerable sections of society. She was a member of the National Advisory Committee (NAC) which was set up by the UPA-I government. Roy was also instrumental in the passage of the Right to Information Act and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
In a recent interview with Frontline magazine, Aruna Roy spoke on a wide range of issues such as the need for a whistle-blowers Act, right to information, the four years of the Narendra Modi government and more. Here are a few excerpts.
On the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government
- “In India, the governance system continues to be arbitrary and corrupt despite reforms and the demand for radical legislation. It has worsened with the opaqueness and tight controls exercised in the last four years resulting in bringing back exclusivity in governance.”
- “The Modi government began with a frontal assault on rights-based legislation and entitlements. The blind pursuit of economic growth, without a genuine critique of its defects and shortcomings, has belied its promises. “
- “By giving protection to corporates, it (the Modi government) has encouraged a kind of crony capitalism. Policy is also used to protect corporate interests and the secrecy of the system. Electoral bonds, for instance, allows corporate donations, both Indian and foreign, to political parties in secret.”
- “The country’s celebrated diversity is under the threat of homogenisation. All differing points of view are termed anti-national, a threat to security, and those who raise a voice of protest become victims of unjustified action by the state.”
- “The poor are reeling under ill-conceived and badly executed policies such as demonetisation and GST [goods and services tax]. Their social security nets are starved of funds, and they are literally dying of starvation owing to the illegitimate push of Aadhaar.”
- “The concentration of power and fear of retribution and intolerance of dissent are so acute that there is silence. This is a government of the few (privileged), by them and for themselves. There is little room for critique and none for criticism.”
- “The independence of democratic institutions — like the Human Rights Commission, Central Information Commission, Election Commission and the CVC — has already been eroded. Universities are being stifled.”
- “Attempts have been made to reduce the power, effectiveness and independence of the judiciary in many ways.”
On the RTI act and protection of whistle-blowers
- “We need a law that recognises the need for protection of any human being who has the courage to expose and disclose the working of a corrupt and arbitrary system. Even after the President’s assent, however, the law (diluted as it is) is yet to be notified.”
- “Human rights, civil rights and RTI exposes are instances where people stick their necks out to oppose injustice and corruption. Often, the corrupt power elite ensure that they are persecuted and sometimes eliminated. The whistle-blowers law is needed for their protection as well.”
- “We are being denied more and more information on baseless grounds. Examples of information denied range from the Prime Minister’s educational degree to the submissions that were made to the Committee on Data Protection, which will impact access to information.”
On growing communal divide and lynchings
- “Lynching occurs with the tacit approval of the state and with government support to the criminals with silence and inaction.”
- “The rulers who are mandated with providing constitutional protection are themselves breaking its norms.”
- “This is a clash between the values and principles of the Constitution and Manuvad or Hindutva.”
- “Unemployed youth drawn to and engaged in the senseless bravado of communalism are prevented from revolting against the state on the real issue of unemployment.”
- “Cow vigilantism has had a field day, with governments not delivering justice and allowing lynching to happen. Its perpetrators are given impunity by the state and freedom from legal obligations. It is a cynical and calculated strategy to build fear in the minority communities and suppress the voice of the rational supporters across communities and groups.”