Where Is My Right to Information?
By Pema Wangchuk
On the outset, let me make clear to all the readers that whatever I write in WAB is my own and I am neither a grammar guru having graduated from Oxford nor a Cambridge aficionado. I am just a simple and budding writer having recently graduated from Gaeddu College of Business Studies with four years BBA course and to learn the art of writing is the biggest aim in my life. So, bear with me for any grammar errors and I seek your open suggestions and criticisms for further improvement.
Once I approached one of the offices of corporation entreating the financial information for academic research but unfortunately the regional manager refuted to give me saying that it is confidential as per the prudential regulations of RMA. So, to ask back again is not good; it demands what students of GCBS called chamchaism.
My travelling expenses from Gedu to Chukha were more than Nu.500 and luckily I met my previous friends for that night to spend. Remembering this incidence, I asked myself umpteenth time that as our infant democracy becomes vibrant; it is prerequisite for Bhutan to have the Right to Information Act in place. Nevertheless, Kuensel reported that Bhutan do have RTI Act being drafted since 2009 and now, if we count by the number of days; the drafted act is getting old, and Bhutan has come of age for such Act being placed for the people. Freedom of information is crucial in a democracy and our mother of all laws also guaranteed such freedom; the freedom that promotes transparency and accountability of our political bigwigs.
Our trusted bureaucrats and politicians without vindicated justifications said that in presence of such legislation, people may misuse it, and pragmatically we are not ready. Furthermore, our renowned Prime Minister repeatedly said that, government is quite liberal in sharing information to media through “meet the press” medium. But this medium is only for journalists and urbanite communicators. In absence of such act, our leaders will say no; I have no obligation to perform my duty; my boss is restricting to share with you all; and to release such information it is against the company’s norms. So many discarded excuses!
If we have such act in place, it will bestow the so-called behest to all bureaucrats to publish information on their respective websites and such method will help a lot for academicians, researchers and for people doing project especially the students in the various colleges. Leaving aside the misuse, government needs to create adequate public awareness about the proper way of using information. Otherwise, it will be failed like Tobacco Control Act; having good intentions but implemented badly.
What constitutes information is a debatable issue and I expect that drafted act might have clear-cut on this part.
Until and unless we have proper machinery in place, to exercise our fundamental rights is quite obscure, and such act can even reduce corruption at different levels. The operationalization of fundamental rights to information and ensuring the participation of people from grassroots level is possible only in presence of such act.
Without access to information, it is difficult for us particularly the youth to participate politically, socially and economically. And, after weighing pros and cons we have voted for Druk Phunsum Tsokpa and now there should be a political will for such act to pass for the benefit of people.
If government does want to want such drafted one to be placed in parliament in the upcoming winter session as a bill, then we are revoking the Article 7, Section 5 of the Constitution which states that, “A Bhutanese citizens shall have the right to information…”