J&K RTI Foundation highlights the importance of access to information in the digital era

International Day for Universal Access to Information celebrated in Magam: A J&K RTI Foundation note:

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Magam, Jammu and Kashmir - September 28, 2023 - On September 28, 2023, the J&K RTI Foundation celebrated the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) with great enthusiasm and participation. The event, held in Magam, witnessed an engaged audience both in-person and via Zoom, highlighting the importance of access to information in the digital era.
IDUAI is globally recognized as a day to emphasize the crucial role of access to information in empowering individuals, promoting transparency, and fostering informed decision-making. The United Nations General Assembly designated September 28 as IDUAI in 2019, following the lead of UNESCO, which had established this observance in 2015.
Irfan Banka, Anthropologist and Founder of J&K RTI Foundation, stressed this year's theme, "the importance of the online space for access to information." He drew attention to the J&K Government's efforts in making 1028 services available online and urged for the provision of Online RTI Facilities (e-RTI Service) to enable citizens to exercise their right to information efficiently in the digital age.
Sheikh Maqbool, Columnist and Co-founder of J&K RTI Foundation, reiterated the organization's commitment to the goals of the Right to Information Act, emphasizing the need for widespread awareness about this fundamental right.
Sajad Hussain, Co-founder of J&K RTI Foundation, asserted that the Right to Information is an essential right, and citizens should actively exercise it to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.
Aaqib Bashir and Ishfaq Majeed, members of RTI Pend, showcased the pivotal role of the RTI Pend initiative in raising awareness about the Right to Information among the public.

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On October 1st 2023 were brought together RTI activists, leaders, and community members to discuss and advocate for the effective implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Distinguished guests, including Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Dar and Mr. Shakeel ur Rasool, prominent RTI activists, and Mr. Sajad Hussain, Co-founder of J&K RTI Foundation, shared their insights on the transformative power of RTI in bringing transparency and accountability to governance.

During the event, Mr. Irfan Banka, host of RTI Pend, emphasized the need for widespread awareness about the RTI Act. He urged citizens to actively participate in Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections, underlining the role of educated youth in shaping a more transparent and accountable governance system. He also requested the government to launch an e-RTI portal for the public as soon as possible as the government has already made 1028 services online as per reports.

Mr. Shakeel ur Rasool shed light on how RTI has played a crucial role in obtaining information related to Wullar and fishermen communities. He encouraged the youth of Bandipora to leverage RTI to contribute to societal well-being.

Mr. Sajad Hussain delineated the differences between the Central RTI Act 2005 and the erstwhile J&K RTI Act 2009, expressing concern about the confusion created in J&K, particularly by some government officials. He emphasized the importance of clarity in the application of RTI laws.

Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Dar appealed to the educated youth to file RTIs related to government schemes and initiatives, contributing to the dissemination of essential information for greater transparency.

The event also showcased the pivotal role of Technical Directors, Mr. Ishfaq Majeed, and Mr. Aaqib Bashir, in making RTI Pend events successful.

Besides offline participation, the event was also live-streamed on Facebook and Zoom, providing a wider audience with valuable insights into the RTI Act. RTI Pend continues to be a beacon of awareness and advocacy, committed to fostering a culture of transparency and informed decision-making.

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हिंदी आलोचना जैसे पिछड़ चुके अनुशासन की जगह हिंदी वैचारिकी का विकास जरूरी

- प्रमोद रंजन* भारतीय राजनीति में सांप्रदायिक व प्रतिक्रियावादी ताकतों को सत्ता तक पहुंचाने में हिंदी पट्टी का सबसे बड़ा योगदान है। इसका मुख्य कारण हिंदी-पट्टी में कार्यरत समाजवादी व जनपक्षधर हिरावल दस्ते का विचारहीन, अनैतिक और प्रतिक्रियावादी होते जाना है। अगर हम उपरोक्त बातों को स्वीकार करते हैं, तो कुछ रोचक निष्कर्ष निकलते हैं। हिंदी-जनता और उसके हिरावल दस्ते को विचारहीन और प्रतिक्रियावादी बनने से रोकने की मुख्य ज़िम्मेदारी किसकी थी?

ગુજરાતના સ્થાપના દિવસે યાદ કરીએ ભારતના વિશ્વપ્રસિદ્ધ ગુજરાતી પુરાતત્વવિદ્ ને

- ગૌરાંગ જાની* આજે કોઈ ગુજરાતી એ કલ્પના પણ ન કરી શકે કે વર્ષ ૧૮૩૯ માં જૂનાગઢમાં જન્મેલા એક ગુજરાતી વિશ્વ પ્રસિદ્ધ બની શકે! પણ આપણે એ ગુજરાતીને કદાચ વિસરી ગયા છીએ જેમણે ગિરનારના અશોક શિલાલેખને દોઢસો વર્ષ પૂર્વે ઉકેલી આપ્યો.આ વિદ્વાન એટલે ભગવાનલાલ ઈન્દ્રજી. ૭ નવેમ્બર, ૧૮૩૯ ના દિવસે જૂનાગઢના પ્રશ્નોરા નાગર બ્રાહ્મણ પરિવારમાં તેમનો જન્મ થયો હતો. જૂનાગઢના એ સમયે અંગ્રેજી શિક્ષણની સગવડ ન હોવાને કારણે તેમને અંગ્રેજી ભાષાનું જ્ઞાન ન હતું પણ પાછળથી તેમણે ખપ પૂરતું અંગ્રેજી જાણી લીધું હતું.

Under Modi, democracy is regressing and economy is also growing slowly

By Avyaan Sharma* India is "the largest democracy in the world", but now its democracy is regressing and its economy is also growing slowly. What has PM Modi's ten years in power brought us? Unemployment remains high. Joblessness is particularly high among India's youth - with those aged 15 to 29 making up a staggering 83% of all unemployed people in India, according to the "India Employment Report 2024", published last month by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of Human Development (IHD). The BJP-led government did not provide jobs to two crore youth in a year as was promised by Modi in the run up to the 2014 general elections.

सफाई कर्मियों का निवाला दाव पर! अब मुद्दा आधारित एकता ही एकमात्र रास्ता!

- संजीव डांडा* दिल्ली में सफाई कर्मी रोजगार के आभाव में अब भुखमरी का का सामना कर रहे हैं । सरकार उनकी समस्या का समाधान करने में असमर्थ है । आज कॉन्स्टिट्यूशन क्लब ऑफ इंडिया, नई दिल्ली में आयोजित मीटिंग में दिल्ली के सीवर कर्मचारियों और कचरा बीनने वालों ने अपने रोजगार के कई मुद्दे उठाए । बैठक का आयोजन सफाई कर्मचारियों, यूनियन के प्रतिनिधियों, शिक्षाविदों और सामाजिक कार्यकर्ताओं की सिफारिशों को सार्वजनिक करने के लिए किया गया था । इस बैठक में 200 से अधिक सीवर श्रमिकों और कचरा बीनने वालों ने भाग लिया और उनके सामने आने वाली आजीविका के संकट पर चर्चा की।

नफरती बातें: मुसलमानों में असुरक्षा का भाव बढ़ रहा है, वे अपने मोहल्लों में सिमट रहे हैं

- राम पुनियानी* भारत पर पिछले 10 सालों से हिन्दू राष्ट्रवादी भारतीय जनता पार्टी (भाजपा) राज कर रही है. भाजपा आरएसएस परिवार की सदस्य है और आरएसएस का लक्ष्य है हिन्दू राष्ट्र का निर्माण. आरएसएस से जुड़ी सैंकड़ों संस्थाएँ हैं. उसके लाखों, बल्कि शायद, करोड़ों स्वयंसेवक हैं. इसके अलावा कई हजार वरिष्ठ कार्यकर्ता हैं जिन्हें प्रचारक कहा जाता है. भाजपा के सत्ता में आने के बाद से आरएसएस दुगनी गति से हिन्दू राष्ट्र के निर्माण के अपने एजेण्डे को पूरा करने में जुट गया है. यदि भाजपा को चुनावों में लगातार सफलता हासिल हो रही है तो उसका कारण है देश में साम्प्रदायिकता और साम्प्रदायिक मुद्दों का बढ़ता बोलबाला. इनमें से कुछ हैं राम मंदिर, गौमांस और गोवध एवं लव जिहाद.

Laxmanpur Bathe massacre: Perfect example of proto-fascist Brahmanical social order

By Harsh Thakor The massacre at Laxmanpur-Bathe of Jehanabad in Bihar on the night of 1 December in 1997 was a landmark event with distinguishing features .The genocide rightly shook the conscience of the nation in the 50th year of Indian independence. The scale of the carnage was unparalleled in any caste massacre. It was a perfect manifestation of how in essence the so called neo-liberal state was in essence most autocratic.

अगर भाजपा का पिछले दस साल का शासन तो ट्रेलर था तो अब क्या होगा!

- राम पुनियानी* जहाँ तक प्रोपेगेंडा का सवाल है, हमारे प्रधानमंत्री का मुकाबला कम ही नेता कर सकते हैं. एक ओर वे कांग्रेस की कई घोषणाओं को सांप्रदायिक बता रहे हैं तो दूसरी ओर यह दावा भी कर रहे हैं कि उनके 10 साल के शासनकाल की उपलब्धियां शानदार और चमकदार तो हैं हीं मगर वे मात्र ट्रेलर हैं. और यह भी कि 2024 में उनकी सरकार फिर से बनने के बाद वे और बड़े काम करेंगे. उनके समर्थक उनकी सरकार की उपलब्धियों का गुणगान कर रहे हैं. मगर सच यह है कि उनकी सरकार ने कोई कमाल नहीं किया है.

कार्ल मार्क्स के जन्मदिन पर: दर्शन के क्षेत्र में इस महामानव की तीन अतुलनीय बातें

- अजय तिवारी कोई व्यक्ति मार्क्सवादी हो या न हो, वह मार्क्सवाद विरोधी तब होता है,जब इतिहास को मानने से इनकार करता है। दर्शन के क्षेत्र में मार्क्स की तीन बातें अतुलनीय हैं।

સરકારી તંત્ર અને લશ્કર પર કબજો કરવાનાં આર.એસ.એસ. ના ષડ્યંત્ર નો દસ્તાવેજ

- વાલજીભાઈ પટેલ તા-૨૬/0૪ ના ઇન્ડિયન એક્સપ્રેસના એક લેખમાં આર..એસ.એસ. દ્વારા સરકારી વહીવટી તંત્ર અને લશ્કર પર ચુપચાપ કાબુ કરવાના ષડ્યંત્રનાં પૂરાવાઓ રજુ થયા છે. મોદી સરકારના ૧૦ પ્રધાનોમાંથી ૭ પ્રધાનો માત્ર આર.એસ.એસ. નાં છે. રાજ્યોના ૧૦ ગવર્નરમાંથી ૪ ગવર્નરો આસ.એસ.એસ.ના પ્રચારક અને સ્વયંમસેવક છે. ભાજપ શાસિત ૧૨ રાજ્યોમાંથી ૮ રાજ્યોના મુખ્ય મંત્રીઓ અને નાયબ મુખ્ય મંત્રીઓ આર.એસ.એસ.ના સ્વયં સેવકો છે. વહીવટી તંત્રમાં ઉચ્ચ કક્ષાના અધિકારીઓમાં ચૂપચાપ આર.એસ.એસ.ના સ્વયંમસેવકો અને આર.એસ.એસ.ની વિચારધારાવાળા લોકોને ગોઠવી દેવામાં આવ્યા છે.

BJP insulted lotus, a symbol of peace and prosperity, has used unfair coercion

By Kvita Sharma* The symbol of the BJP is the lotus, which is regarded as a symbol of peace and prosperity. But the BJP does not have the qualities of Lotus. It has also frequently launched violence in many states and used unfair coercion to harm other parties in exchange for votes.

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