Who's afraid of transparency?
Tuesday December 18 2007 07:50 IST

ARUNA ROY AND NIKHIL DEY

ON December 6, Vakta Ram, 28, an activist with the Rozgar Evam Suchana
Adhikar Abhiyan, went to the block office in Kushalgarh in Rajasthan's
Banswara district, to ask for copies of records of the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act expenditure in the block, for conducting a
social audit. He had a letter from the district administration
authorising him to do this. When the BDO sent him off to get the
letter photocopied, two men set upon him, and beat him and abused him.
The issue was clearly the fear of the audit. The beating continued in
the full view of the block office staff. The two men were soon joined
by eight others on motorcycles. They dragged Vakta Ram through the
market - beating, slapping and kicking him on the way. They warned
him, that he had to either learn a lesson or worse was in store. He
was finally rescued by a sarpanch who told him to get away, for his
life was in danger.

Recalling this the next day, Vakta Ram observed that he was not upset
about being beaten up. In fact, he felt proud of being beaten up for
doing the right thing. He is one of the hundreds who have come
spending their money and time to tribal Banswara, to conduct a social
audit of the NREGA works. For the many critics of the NREGA who had
alleged that corruption alone would grow out of the process, there
could not be a better answer than the social audits happening all over
the country. This process fosters social responsibility and
accountability since it allows people to monitor government funds
being spent in their areas.

The cynicism arises from the failure of the elite to do anything about
the rampant corruption in their lives or in the policies that they
formulate. Their own failure to curb corruption has become an excuse
to rubbish any scheme for the poor, claiming that it's just an
expensive gravy train. If they were to spare one day for a padayatra
anywhere, it would open their eyes to the importance of minimum wage
employment to people on these work sites. They would know how the
money earned goes towards buying food, ensuring access to health,
education - even productive investments. But, most of all, these
critics would probably see the determination of the people to fight
corruption and pilferage, even at the risk of their own lives. The
NREGA has demonstrated all over India that the rural poor are willing
to mobilise on it and fight to protect it. These, indeed, are lessons
on basic democratic action for the 'other' India.

The most encouraging aspects of vigilance efforts like social audits,
have been the coming together of motivated people from all walks of
life in a campaign mode. It stimulates and sustains democratic action
in a manner not seen in a long time. In neighbouring Dungarpur
district, in April 2006, almost a thousand people came together to
walk through the district looking at every work, walking through every
panchayat, sleeping, eating in people's homes, and being a part of a
mass public audit. This innovative padyatra was instrumental in
ensuring that Dungarpur became one of the leading NREGA districts,
with employment generation on an unprecedented scale (nearly 100 days
per rural household in 2006-7), and little evidence of any substantial
embezzlement. At that time, many felt that this was a flash in the
pan. Since then, however, the number of such campaigns has increased,
and the reports seem to show an implementation picture that is
improving by the day. Mass social audits have been conducted around
the country - in Ranchi (Jharkhand), Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh),
Villupuram (Tamil Nadu), Kalahandi (Orissa), Ananthapur (Andhra
Pradesh), to cite a few. Each of these experiences have shown the
power of social audits not only in preventing corruption but also, in
fostering people's participation in the entire process.

Many in the political class unfortunately do not realise the power
that lies in the social audit, stuck as they are in the paradigm of
feudal handouts and controls, rather than rights. They do not
understand that the power to mobilise people to demand work, create
meaningful assets, earn the full minimum wage, and fight exploitation,
will eventually count in the elections they so desperately want to
win.

In Banswara, Rajasthan's ruling party has been joined by opposition
leaders in trying to fight the social audit. The sarpanches, pradhans,
zilla pramukhs and MLAs, have been shouting slogans, leading rallies,
sitting on dharna against providing information and holding audits.
The minister and CM, who are responsible for ensuring the rule of law
and the implementation of pro-poor programmes, have actually made
assurances in support of those who are against social audits being
held!

One wonders whether any politician really understands the lesson that
people like Vakta Ram offer. The weeks ahead will tell.

Roy is a Magsaysay awardee. Both she and Dey are Rajasthan-based
social activists mkssrajasthan@gmail.com