Opinion is Responsibility: Why Democracy Needs Recorded Minds, Not Silent Files

✍️ Authored by:
Rajnish Ratnakar
Founder – RTI Public Grievance Warriors of India

🔗 Blog: https://rtipublicgrievancewarriorsofindia.blogspot.com/2025/07/when-information-is-power-how-one.html

🧭 Introduction

In the battle for justice, transparency, and accountability, one voice can awaken the conscience of governance.

This article is authored by Rajnish Ratnakar, a constitutional thinker and citizen-rights advocate, who through his work at RTI Public Grievance Warriors of India, is empowering citizens to demand not just information — but recorded reasoning, documented opinions, and true accountability.

“When information is not documented, democracy becomes decoration.” — Rajnish Ratnakar

📚 RTI Act — The Pillar of Transparent Governance

The Right to Information Act, 2005 mandates that public authorities must:
- Maintain and index all records [Section 4(1)(a)]
- Declare the powers and duties of officials [Section 4(1)(b)(ii)]
- Publish decisions and reasons [Sections 4(1)(b)(iii), (iv)]
- Disclose all relevant facts [Section 4(1)(c)]

But without documented opinions, reasoning, and interpretation, these legal provisions become meaningless.

🧠 Opinion Is Not Optional — It Is Accountability

Every government action is the result of someone's application of mind. If that mental process is not recorded:
- Accountability is lost
- Arbitrariness grows
- Transparency breaks down

🛡️ Rajnish Ratnakar’s Core Assertion

“Without maintaining the record of interpretation and opinion, Section 4(1)(b)(ii) is violated — and with it, democracy itself is weakened.”

He rightly asserts:
- Opinions and interpretations must be recorded
- Records Officers must be made accountable under the Public Records Act, 1993
- Democracy demands documentation

⚖️ Public Records Act — Legal Backbone of Record-Keeping

The Public Records Act, 1993 is a central law that applies to all public authorities.
It mandates:
- Preservation of public records
- Appointment of Records Officers
- Disciplinary action for willful destruction or neglect of records

Still, many offices fail to maintain critical opinions and reasoning in writing — creating a vacuum of accountability.

🚨 Consequences of Not Recording Opinion

❌ Omission → 🔍 Consequence
- No opinion recorded → No officer accountable
- No interpretation explained → Arbitrary decisions prevail
- No reason documented → RTI replies become vague
- No transparency → Corruption finds space

📣 The Call to Action by RTI Warriors

✅ Citizens must file RTIs asking:
“Please provide a certified copy of the opinion, interpretation, and reasoning recorded while taking this decision.”

✅ Courts must insist on materially recorded reasoning.
✅ Governments must enforce the duty of Records Officers in each department.

🇮🇳 Closing Words: The Sovereignty of an Informed Citizenry

“In the absence of accountability, democracy cannot be strengthened, corruption cannot be contained, transparency cannot be real, and sovereignty cannot be achieved.” — Rajnish Ratnakar

This is more than a statement — it is a constitutional reminder.

When opinions are recorded, governance becomes answerable.
When facts are traceable, the nation becomes trustworthy.
When the citizen is empowered, democracy is truly alive.

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📝 Blog: https://rtipublicgrievancewarriorsofindia.blogspot.com/2025/07/when-information-is-power-how-one.html
📢 Founded & Authored by Rajnish Ratnakar
📣 Voice of accountability, rule of law, and sovereign citizenship.