Column | Raja Muzaffar Bhat: Kashmir’s grassroots man
Raja Muzaffar Bhat is a prominent environmental activist and RTI expert from Kashmir, known for his efforts in holding government institutions accountable. He has shifted his focus to environmental issues, particularly illegal riverbed mining and the garbage crisis in rural areas. Bhat continues to advocate for marginalized communities and the protection of natural resources in the region.
- ▪Raja Muzaffar Bhat is the chairman of the J&K Climate Action Group and a tenth-generation resident of Wathora village.
- ▪He has filed numerous RTI applications and has been instrumental in the fight against illegal riverbed mining in Kashmir.
- ▪Bhat has highlighted the lack of access to welfare schemes for marginalized communities and the environmental degradation in the region.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Raja Muzaffar Bhat knows how to read the fine print. Tender documents are like whodunnits waiting to be unravelled for the 49-year-old environmental activist. Bhat, who built his credibility as a Right to Information (RTI) expert and is now chairman of the J&K Climate Action Group, is the tenth generation of his family to live in Wathora village, 12 km south of Srinagar and home to Kashmir’s famous Bhand Pather folk theatre.He adeptly plays ace detective as he scours the legalese for clues ranging from problematic clauses to forgotten environmental/pollution clearances. He can recite sections of existing laws faster than you can say ‘Vande Mataram’ and he has the skill set required to hold government institutions accountable.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Hindu — Top.
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