Where there is HR Violation there is RTI application

LAW BY DR RAJA MUZAFFAR BHAT

The violation of Human Rights has been a matter of great concern in Jammu & Kashmir for nearly two decades now. With respect to HR violations by government forces, citizens of J&K have had few mechanisms for relief. The most commonly mentioned include court system, the J&K State Human Rights Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi. Unfortunately, all three mechanisms are either expensive, time-consuming, or have proven of little help.

犀利士

Recently, the Right to Information Act has emerged in India, and Jammu & Kashmir, as a tool for improving transparency and combating corruption. Unfortunately, public is largely unaware that the Central Right to Information Act of 2005 (CRTI) and the J&K Right to Information Act of 2009 (JKRTI) both include provisions supporting the use of RTI with respect to human rights (HR) violations. From our inquiries and to the best of our knowledge, these provisions have hardly been used in Jammu & Kashmir both with respect to the CRTI and to the JKRTI. This article seeks to explain these mechanisms so that citizens of J&K might use them to further human rights in the state. (more…)