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Dear Reader,
The arbitrary and unbridled misuse of power by government agencies, without adherence to the letter and spirit of the law has been an issue in all democratic societies, so in India. However, last week, on October 03, the Supreme Court came down hard on the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in the Pankaj Bansal vs. Union of India case, on what it considered an ‘arbitrary exercise of power’ and deemed that the ED has to furnish reasons in written, before making an arrest. This, Article 14, says is not only a reiteration of the citizens’ liberty but also a fillip to the principle of due process of law.
A similar bid to infringe citizens’ rights was thwarted in Karnataka when a report by The File red-flagged an attempt by the government to identify and list ‘frequent RTI filers’. The grantee’s report on how the government’s bid severely compromised the privacy and identity of the RTI activists led to the state first disowning and then withdrawing the offending order.
From Jharkhand, The Probe reports on how the long deprivation of basic nutrition to citizens, primarily children, has turned into a malnutrition crisis. The state is at the near bottom rung in ‘child wasting’ – a result of difficult geography affecting the state’s ability to reach communities and the extremely below-par access to healthcare. While attempts are being made to address the issue, the problem seems to be too large to be solved by ordinary efforts.
And, again from Jharkhand, Mojo Story analyses the efficacy of the Open Defecation Free (ODF) programme, as we marked the fourth anniversary of India being declared ‘open defecation free’ last week. The programme, part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, is in significant parts still afflicted by inadequate provision of water, low-quality toilets and long-inculcated practices, which calls for behavioural changes at the community level, if the facility is to be utilised at its optimum level.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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