Assam is hosting the 32nd Board of Governors and 14th AGM of the National Federation of Information Commissioners of India (April 8).
Ancient and Medieval Roots of Transparency in Assam
- Historical Inscriptions (5th century onwards):
- Rock and copper inscriptions across Assam demonstrate a tradition of public declarations by rulers.
- Kumar Bhaskar Barman (7th century CE):
- Scholarly king of Kamarupa.
- Issued Nidhanpur inscription, declaring land and grants.
- Shared information on Pragjyotishpur and his court with Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang.
- Ahom Dynasty and Buranjis:
- Continued the tradition of documentation through Buranjis.
- These were factual public records, not royal propaganda, and were open to public access.
Srimanta Sankaradeva’s Reforms: The Pillar of Openness
- Srimanta Sankaradeva (15th–16th century):
- Saint-reformer, philosopher, artist, and cultural leader.
- Emphasised openness, transparency, and accountability in social institutions.
- Namghar System:
- Village-level Vaishnavite institution serving religious, social, judicial, and administrative roles.
- Functioned as an open archive of records, central to Assamese public life.
- Charit Tola:
- “writings of contemporary events of the life of a Sattra chief”
- were written records and not interpretation
Colonial Era – Decline of Transparency
- Treaty of Yandabo (1826):
- British rule introduced closed governance.
- Official Secrets Act (1923):
- Sharing of government information was criminalised.
- Brought in a culture of opacity and bureaucracy that lasted post-Independence.
Post-Liberalisation & Rise of Public Information Culture
- Post-1991 Liberalisation:
- Rise in demand for information.
- Internet revolution transformed data into a tool for economic and social empowerment.
Right to Information (RTI) Act – A Democratic Leap
- RTI Act, 2005:
- Codified what was already a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) (as ruled by SC in 1975).
- Made government operations transparent and citizen participation more effective.
- Impacts of RTI Act:
- Exposed corruption and increased accountability.
- Boosted professionalism in bureaucracy.
- Promoted a culture of responsiveness in public service.
- Strengthened by supportive judicial pronouncements.
- Challenges:
- Misuse by fake RTI activists using it for extortion or harassment.
- Need to guard against abuse while upholding the Act’s spirit.
Acknowledges Assam’s historic legacy of openness and transparency in governance.
