Activists Attacked in Beawar During RTI Anniversary Procession

As the Right to Information Act turns 21, a celebratory musical procession in Beawar, the movement's birthplace, was upended by violence. Organized by the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan and local citizens.

The event was marred by a group of men who attacked social activists and female participants near Chang Gate around 6 pm on Sunday. Casting a shadow over the commemoration.

The procession, which began at Ajmeri Gate around 4:30 pm, was intended to be a peaceful event. However, the situation took a turn when some people approached the activists and asked about their slogans, leading to a clash. The police officers intervened, bringing both sides to the police station.

Further action is underway.

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Beawar City Police Station Senior Haider (SHO) Ashutosh Panday described the incident as a clash between two groups. One local and the other comprising activists. He stated that persons from both groups sustained injuries, and there was sloganeering.

The environment was tense, with the attackers making threatening remarks, including shoot those who betray the religion.

MKSS stated that women at the front of the procession were targeted first by the attackers, who also made derogatory remarks. The organisation claimed that the procession was entirely peaceful and that the district administration had been informed in writing about the event. Which featured RTI activists from different parts of the country.

MKSS has now demanded that the police take immediate action against the perpetrators and provide protection for all those attacked. The organisation urged the police to investigate the incident impartially. Register the victims' complaint, identify those responsible, and ensure that they are held accountable under the law.

Activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Mukesh Goswami, and Kamal, Kumar stated. that the right to organise a peaceful procession, raise questions about corruption, and exercise freedom of expression is fundamental to democracy. They condemned the attack, saying it cannot be allowed to silence citizens exercising these rights.

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The attack on MKSS activists is not just an assault on individual members but an attack on the democratic values of peaceful assembly. Public participation, transparency, and accountability that the RTI movement has upheld for decades.

A decades-long tradition of musical satire has been a cornerstone of India's Right to Information movement. With the Ghotala Rath Yatra procession drawing on its momentum to raise awareness about corruption in the lead-up to the national observance of RTI Diwas on October 12. The event coincides with the 21st anniversary of the Right to Information Act's enactment in 2005.

Beawar, known as the birthplace of the RTI, has been closely associated with the grassroots struggle for transparency, which eventually became a movement and led to the enactment of the law.