Whistleblowers can heave a sigh of relief

Those who expose corruption in public and the misuse of public money and authority have reason to heave a sigh of relief as their identity will henceforth be protected. The Union Cabinet has cleared the 'Whistleblowers Bill' which seeks to protect the identity of those exposing corruption and scams.

The Bill comes in the wake of a series of murders of RTI (right to information) activists including Manjunath Shanmugam and Satyendra Dubey who have been exposing incidents of corruption by public servants and political leaders.

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The new Bill will go a long way in instilling the much needed confidence among the whistleblowers as they can be sure about keeping their identity a secret so that they are not targeted by those against whom the activists have made complaints. Once in place, the Act will put the onus on the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to protect the identity of citizens who provide information about the misuse of public money and authority. The Act empowers the CVC to take action against those who reveal the identity or even threaten whistleblowers. It will also be able to take action against anyone who makes frivilous complaints.

A string of attacks on RTI activists had shaken the confidence of the whistleblowers across the country. Those who want to expose corruption have started thinking twice before making such complaints as they are putting their life in danger.

The long and unending list of those who have paid with their life in exposing the corrupt is heart-rendering. While Satyendra Dubey, an IIT Kanpur civil engineering graduate, was killed for exposing corruption in building national highways in Bihar; Manjunath Shanmugam blew the whistle on adulteration at petrol pumps in Uttar Pradesh. Shanmugam was an IIM Lucknow alumnus and employed with Indian Oil Corporation.

RTI activist Amit Jethwa was the latest to pay for exposing corruption with his life. He was gunned down outside the Ahmedabad High Court in July 2010. Jethwa had named BJP's Junagadh MP Dinu Solanki while exposing illegal mining on the Gir forest periphery. In May 2010 RTI activist Datta Patil was found murdered in Ichalkaranji. Patil, had unearthed a corruption racket, which had resulted in removal of a deputy superintendent of police and action against Ichalkaranji corporation officials.

In April 2010, Vitthal Gite, an education activist, was killed in Aurangabad. He had exposed irregularities in a village school in Beed. An RTI activist was assaulted by anti-social elements at Kishanganj in Delhi in February, allegedly at the behest of an MCD councillor. Shashidhar Mishra of Begusarai in Bihar was murdered by unknown assailants in February 2010. Mishra had exposed corruption at the panchayat and block levels.

In January Satish Shetty, a prominent RTI activist who had exposed land scams, was killed in the outskirts of Pune. Shetty who had exposed many land scams in Maharashtra, was murdered while on his morning walk.

The Bill will now be tabled in Parliament and if passed will be sent to President Pratibha Patil. After the President signs the Bill it will become an Act.