Accountability, Democratisation and the Right to Information in India

ABSTRACT

Accountability is a core democratic value. It envisages that citizens hold the powerful to account for omissions and commissions. Influenced by the global agenda for good governance, the Right to Information (RTI) Act in India was designed to build accountability through transparency. RTI is primarily a result of democratic politics. It emerged from intense grassroots activism – articulating poor and ordinary citizens’ discontent over corruption and other abuses of power. This study is based on six empirical cases of RTI usage in India’s West Bengal province. I argue that even though it is primarily designed to elicit accountability, RTI has emerged as a “seed right” because of its enabling, foundational and evolving dimensions push forward the process of democratisation. When operating individually, our respondents experienced negligible empowerment, but when the relatively powerless citizens organised collectively and were able to work through political institutions such as political parties and CSOs/NGOs, they could convincingly bargain with the powerholders, and elicit some cooperation, if not accountability.

KEYWORDS:

• India
• West Bengal
• accountability
• democratisation
• Right to Information
• empowerment
• seed right
• political parties
• CSOs
• NGOs

Acknowledgments

In addition to the anonymous ASR reviewers, I am also grateful to Sandipan Banerjee, Saradindu Bhaduri, Dipankar Sinha, Supatra Sen, Partha Pratim Basu, Yukteswar Kumar, Liam Swiss, Arun K. Jana, Mrs. Varalaxmi, Amitava Choudhury, Sujoy Mukherjee, Sujoy Ghattak, Baidyanath Khotel and many other respondents for their support. The usual disclaimer applies.

Notes

1. In English, it reads, “Mass Movements against Corruption”.

2. In English, it reads, “Workers’ and Peasants’ Solidarity Front”.

3. In English, it reads, “Our Money, Our Account”.

4. Many banks in India employ private sources (known as “recovery agencies”) to track defaulters and recover the loan amount with accrued interest. The banks generally do not interfere with their modes of functioning. I gained these insights from a few acquaintances who work at managerial level in other branches of the same bank. Sumit however alleged that bank officials draw “commissions” (rents) for themselves in awarding contracts to particular recovery agencies.

5. In English, it reads “Soldiers of Common People”.

6. Regional Seminar on “Right to Information: Strengthening Democracy” in Kolkata Information Centre on 29 August 2010.