RTI Previous CIC orders are not binding per-se in entirety
The certified copy of the file noting, orders, instructions, directions, minutes of deliberations, etc. pertaining to a particular DO letter was denied u/s 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act being internal and sensitive in nature. The Commission clarified during the hearing the previous orders are not binding per-se in entirety as every case has to be seen in relation to the circumstances of that particular case. It is only the ratio decidendi part of the order which is binding and taken into consideration while deciding questions of law based on identical issues and facts. Therefore, in the absence of the discussion on the question of law, the decision referred to cannot be relied upon by the Commission. After examining the facts of the case, the CIC ruled that the file notings relating to the matter in hand are disclosable to the appellant. The CIC gave the liberty to the respondent to apply severability u/s 10(1) of the RTI Act.
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The earlier orders of the CIC must
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Visakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books, RTI Right to Information - Law and Practice and PIO’s Guide to RTI. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and Third party audit. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link www.rtifoundationofindia.com
Forum Glorifying invaders of India in history books is not justified
The History of India starts from 12000 BC . We were a flourishing civilisation since then. The high point of that era was the Mauryan Empire and Gupta’s period. These aspects of our civilisation has been forgotten in our history books? Yes. As young students in the fifties and sixties in school and college it was barely covered adequately. The glorification of the period, when “ invaders “ appeared on our civilised people , one from Kabul by land and the other by sea from Britain. Both came from penniless countries. The East India company was led by Robert Clive who had £5/- in his pocket . The ruler of Kabul, Babar records in BabarNama that he was desperate for resources and rich India was his target. Unfortunately rich India had focused on the economy and education/ well being of its people but forgot that this civilisation had to be protected. The result was the sacking of India by the overseas barbarians. The Indian sub continent was sacked repeatedly by the invaders from Kabul and our universities like Nalanda (actually 11 of them ) were reduced to ashes , and our people put to the sword and taken away to Kabul as slaves. Why do you think that the Himalayas in that region are called “ HINDU KUSH “ ? It means destruction of Hindu people on the slopes of these mountains, as many Indians as captured slaves perished on the forced march to Kabul. The aforesaid has no mention in the history books I studied in school! Why ? This is the enslavement of an entire civilisation carefully buried under the carpet by our historians since 1947. Why ? The military conquest of India was similarly buried by the historians with respect to the British Conquest of India starting in 1757. In 1857 the First War of Independence was fought to overthrow the yoke of colonial rule in India. Has this been covered at all in depth ? No . The British Colonial regime looted 45 Trillion dollars worth of resources from India in 250 years . Recently Economists from Cambridge University highlighted this fact . Why have these factual figures been hidden from the Indian people? The loot of a civilisation has been buried by historians? Why ? The need for a factual account is necessary for our children to understand and read and understand. This obfuscation of Indian history needs a thorough update. Nobody in my generation has studied for example of the famines in India under colonial rule . The worst being in Bengal in 1943. It has just been buried by historians. Why ? So why the glorification of invaders of India, as briefly brought out by me above ? In 1947 , when we gained freedom after the Mutiny of 1946 by the Armed Forces of India, the colonialists ran away in August 1947. They knew they would have been annihilated by us as Britain was broke and flat out on their backs economically. A historical fact is Robert Clive came to India with £5/- in his pocket and when he left he took his loot to Britain in 23 ships! The conquest of India by land forces from Kabul over a 800 years period has been buried by historians. The economic loss is far greater than the loot by the Colonial British forces who have taken away $45 Trillion dollars worth. And yet our history books reflect nothing on the above facts! Why? The question now is why our history was recorded in this manner to present a false narrative. Should this not be updated today in our history books for our children? NCERT is updating our history books with facts? Should our entire history as a civilisation of at least 12,000 years not be covered? It must be.
Devindra Sethi
