Amazing it may sound, but it is true that the state which had biggest contribution in war for Independence and always give top respect to the freedom fighters and even to their family members, had no separate department which kept information about Independence war heroes. The above fact has been revealed through an application filed under Right to Information Act. The RTI activists kept filing the application in one after another department for the last about three years to get a detail of freedom fighter hailing from Sultanpur district, but failed to get it. Now, he finally knocks the door of the State Information Commissioner, Hafiz Usman, who subsequently summoned all the departments to explain in writing that who keep the records of war heroes.
The contribution and bravery shown by great social activist of Sultanpur, Baba Ramlal, in the freedom struggle, prominently finds place in the first prime minister, Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru’s book `Discovery of India’. Reports said that Nehru during his starting days in the freedom struggle had took lessons from Baba Ramlal, on advise of his father Moti lal Nehru. Baba Ramlal, at that time was leading the farmers agitation against the Britishers in the Awadh region, and had posed a big challenge before the Englishmen. Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru, who took the above leader as his guide in the freedom war, had mentioned about it in the Discovery of India.
However, the tribute paid to this great leader of the country, particularly for the Awadh Region, stand exposed when a social activist, Dr Rakesh Singh, filed an application under RTI with chief secretary, seeking information about Baba Ramlal, on two points. He wanted to know from the state government that which department had information about Ramlal’s contribution and that who had compiled his writings, literary and other work which he done during freedom struggle. Singh, also asked to inform the name and phone numbers of the officers who had kept the record.
According to appeal filed before Information Commissioner, Hafiz Usman, the RTI activists claimed that the Chief Secretary office asked him to go to the Political Pension Department, as they kept such records. When he took round of Political Pension Department, he was directed that it was Information and Public Relation Department which had such information. The Information Department subsequently informed him that they had no such records as their work is just to popularise government and policies and work. The activists said that he once again went to chief secretary office and filed an application, informing that how the above departments had not given any information.
Reports said that when Rakesh Singh, after running from one department to another, get similar reply from chief secretary’s office, decided to lodge a complaint and filed an appeal in the matter with State Information Commissioner. Hafiz Usman, while confirming and showing his surprise over the above disclosure made through RTI application, claimed that he summoned the officials of Political Pension Department, State Archive Office, Editor of Gazetter in Jawahar Bhawan, Cultural Department and directed them to appear before him on August 21. He said that the Departments were directed to submit a reply in written that whether they kept record of freedom struggle heroes, and if not than which Department of the State is responsible for it. Usman, claimed that if no Department is found to be directly involved in the above exercise than he would wrote to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to take some immediate step so a separate section will be made responsible to collect and provide information about freedom fighters.
