Salt seller gives villagers RTI power

Vijaysinh Parmar/TNN/Mota Barman (Amreli): While activists were celebrating the fourth anniversary of Right to Information (RTI) Act on Monday, Gabharu Parmar was going from village to village with his seven donkeys, selling sacks of salt. But he understands the power of RTI better than most. This illiterate 44-yearold from Mota Barman village in Amreli has used the Act to bring dignity not only in his life but also to others in the region. Since 2006, he has been at the centre of at least 30 RTI applications. Until RTI was enacted, Parmar was looked down upon because of his lower caste and poverty.“Today I don’t feel like a lesser human, but like a Shaktimaan,” says the gutsy villager. In 2006, some villagers belonging to a higher caste constructed four shops just outside his house, making it difficult for him to enter his house. “They were politically connected and thought I would not be able to do anything. But, for me it was a matter of dignity,” he says. He came to know about RTI and filed an application. The reply showed that the shops had encroached on government land and were demolished within days. “The demolition sent out a strong message. It showed how a simple man like me can fight for justice against powerful people,” says Parmar who has now become an RTI crusader in the taluka. Many educated people come to him for guidance before filing RTI applications. “Two years ago, the government sanctioned funds to repair a check dam in our village, but nothing happened. Precious rainwater kept flowing into the sea. I used RTI to get it repaired. Now, the check dam is full,” says Parmar. In another case, he found out that a man in his village was doing four jobs in a government department. He asked for details under RTI. The man had to quit three jobs, opening the doors for three unemployed youths.