A forceful assertion In Rajasthan, the right to information becomes almost synonymous with the right to life. SUKUMAR MURALIDHARAN in Beawar AS guest of honour at a convention on the right to information, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was perhaps keen to maintain an image of transparency and candour. The early-April gathering of activists, campaigners and political workers at Beawar in Ajmer district of Rajasthan took place under the shadow of a third successive year of deficient rainfall in parts of the State. This has in turn caused acute livelihood stresses and raised the prospect of famine-like conditions. Deaths from food deprivation and its attendant diseases have already been reported from parts of the State. For this reason, the deliberations at Beawar tended to focus on the government's effort to cope with the looming humanitarian emergency. The assembly was convinced that the affected people would be able to contribute to the efficacy of the relief effort if they were equipped with the knowledge of their entitlements under established law and custom and if they were aware of the special measures being initiated to cope with scarcity conditions. Without the wide dissemination of such information, development administrators would be sluggish in responding to people's needs and relief measures would prove of limited utility and benefit. [snip] full piece at: http://www.frontlineonline.com/fl1809/18090850.htm
