Call for extending support to the agitating family of slain RTI activist Guru Prasad Shukla

 

Dear friends,

When right to information activist Guru Prasad Shukla ( District Bahraich – Uttar Pradesh ) was beaten to death, he became the 39th person to lay down his life for exercising the transparency law in its first decade of RTI. Another 275 people have reportedly been assaulted or harassed for invoking the law to raise uncomfortable questions before those in power.The 48-year-old Shukla had sought information about development work in his village and was killed by village head Triloki Nath Dubey and his relatives in broad daylight. Most other victims, too, suffered for exposing small scams in the countryside by using the law that came into force in  October  2005.

 

Its noteworthy to mention here that Late Guru Prasad was a landless labour and was the sole earning member of his family.

 

From 12^th October 2015, the family of slain RTI activist Guru Prasad Shukla is agitating at Mahatma Gandhi Park,Near G.P.O. Hazratganj, Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh,India.

 

The family's demands include a compensation package involving 25 Lakhs cash, a government job, a house and safety; security to the family; suo-moto disclosure of all pending RTIs of Late Guru Prasad;time bound action on all pending complaints of Late Guru Prasad and imposition of N.S.A. on all those who killed Prasad.

 

7 days have elapsed but so far, the voice of agitating family has not reached to the govt. of UP but district administration is bent upon to displace the family from the demonstration site. District administration and local police is threatening the family now n then to bind-up their demonstration.

 

Yesterday, ACM (Lucknow) Vinod Kumar visited Gandhi park Lucknow and threatened agitating family of slain RTI activist Guru Prasad of dire consequences if they continue their indefinite demonstration. Now we need support of the nation in this matter of fundamental right of peaceful demonstration.

 

We are trying our level best so that the family's peaceful demonstration is not discontinued without addressing their demands but we do have certain limitations and now we need help of whole RTI fraternity of India.

 

So,  I am hereby making this call to you all to extend support ( Financial help/legal help/ Physical  presence at demonstration site/ writing letters to CM or Governor of UP )   to the agitating family of slain RTI activist Guru Prasad Shukla. You should call/SMS D.M. Lucknow at 9415005000 and register your protest against this undemocratic approach of Lucknow district administration.

 

Your every effort shall be of great help in strengthening the transparency  movement in India.

 

Lucknow/17-10-2015(Sunday)

Regards,

Urvashi Sharma

Mob. 9369613513