Judging the right to information / edited by Madabhushi Sridhar

Justice Krishna lyer had his own way of explaining the significance of right to know: "To know law is the first step to be free from fear of unlaw". Making a law to give right to know, thus, is remarkable, because ignorance of law is no excuse, every one is presumed to have known the law and above all the ignorance sustains authoritarianism. Right to information is gradually emerging as one of the very important statutorily prescribed fundamental rights of the citizen as a tool of a vibrant democracy. Those in power with people's information in their control at the government offices, bureaucrats and ministers who sustain their power on the foundations of secrecy consider the RTI as a nuisance and that the UPA Government has unnecessarily invited a permanent headache. When the RTI was being used, the seekers assumed new importance as they found officers chasing them in their official cars requesting them to withdraw the questions promising they would satisfy their demand. There were some cases where they were threatened and physically assaulted also. Such incidents reflect the power of RTI as a weapon in fighting the corruption of different kinds. RTI enhances the flow of information and free expression; only tyrants' live in fear of pens, cameras and RTI questions.

Right to Information Act, 2005 is a very popular enactment after Constitution of India and Indian Penal Code. It opened windows to every public authority hitherto closed and access denied. It was disliked by those who controlled information and welcomed by those who wanted to know.