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[Magsasay award winner Arvind Kejriwal visited several AID US chapters in October. Volunteers Uday Mudoi, Nirveek Bhattacharjee and Arun Sripati compiled this interview with him.]
Arvind Kejriwal in Boston
Photograph: Ashok Devata |
Q: What was the turning point for you to quit the Internal Revenue System (IRS)? A: There was no turning point. I was aware, though, of the need to find an alternative for the common man who, in spite of having his paperwork in place, is forced to pay a bribe. This “extortionist bribery” affects every citizen and is corrupting the entire nation. Any nation whose entire population is corrupt cannot progress. Parivartan began in search of this alternative. Q: Do you think that trying to reform a system from outside is more effective than working from within? A: You cannot change the system from within a bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is about maintaining the status quo. Further, in the IRS, one does not stay in one place for more than a few years. Changing the system often takes many years. As part of a bureaucracy, you can remain clean and do the assignment on hand with full devotion, but you cannot really change the system. Q: How did you get drawn into the RTI campaign? A: For two years we urged people to not give bribes, but to instead, give us their grievances; we would pressurize departments in the government to address them in a timely fashion. But soon, we were grappling with the realization that we were not going to tackle the whole country’s corruption with this approach. The RTI act was passed at around this time. We used it first to address the grievance of one person whose problem was solved within 10 days. We were sold on the RTI act! Q: What do you see as the single biggest stumbling block in the removal of corruption in the years to come? A: Bureaucracy! We will need to fight another freedom struggle to decentralize power - to disempower bureaucracy and to empower the people. Q: How would you like to see the RTI act used? A: We would like the law to be used on a large scale all across the country to demand transparency and accountability of the government. But it is up to us to make full and imaginative use of the act. A law, after all, is only as good as its users. Q: What is your message to AID volunteers and supporters? A: RTI can change the history of India. So please participate actively in the campaign to protect the RTI and to spread awareness about it.
To work with the people of India to fight corruption, promote equity and food security using the Right To Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, AID pledges to support organizations working to raise awareness, train civic bodies, monitor implementation, and socially audit results. |
