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photo: M. Lakshman

In harmony Social activist Aruna Roy has received the Panna Dhai Award

“If you are literate you are only literate. It doesn’t mean you are empowered,” says social activist Aruna Roy.

The lady largely responsible for making the Right to Information Act and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act a reality has recently been conferred the Panna Dhai award at the 28th Annual Awards Ceremony of Maharana Mewar Foundation in Udaipur. “This award means much more than the Magsaysay Award to me, because the people I work with understand its importance. They know Panna Dhai and what her sacrifice was.”

Talking of the RTI and NREG Acts, Aruna says both have been successful. “Now at least 60 paisa out of one rupee is reaching the villages. Many have criticised the NREG Act as wastage of government money, but our research shows that poor people are spending the money on food, education and repayment of loans, in that order. So the money is coming to the market and is thus boosting the economy. ”

On the government empowering women from the top through reservation in Parliament, Aruna says there has always been a dialectic going between the top and the bottom. “I agree, in panchayats lots of women are just a front for their husbands and brothers. But we must appreciate this is the first generation. Things are bound to change.”

Having shunned the Indian Administrative Services, on the premise it is for people who want to maintain the status quo, Aruna feels women IAS officers haven’t done enough to change their image of being suited for soft ministries.

"Female officers are invariably found languishing in the health and tourism ministries.”

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