DC debate: Live coverage of Assembly proceedings in Tamil Nadu yet to take off

Bhaito, bhaito, please be seated is all what you hear in the Lok Sabha television. If live coverage is entertained, similar episodes will follow in Tamil Nadu. There is a demand that Assembly proceedings like Parliament should be telecast live, but this will only defeat the objective of sessions.

There are incidents in neighboring states, where MLAs were caught in camera watching porn, elected representatives had often exchanged unparliamentary words, broke furniture and all these things if telecast will further bring down the etiquette of the house.

If we think that live telecast will bring down the incidence of such unethical behaviour, again that idea will only backlash.

There will be more adjournments, rather than business and that’s happening in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Adjournments are becoming common and there is a spate of more adjournments due to live coverage. Even in India, not many states are telecasting live the Assembly proceedings. Further the law does not make live coverage compulsory and installation of cameras will not suit Indian political system.

Live coverage has not improved the sessions in Lok Sabha, only it has increased the number of adjournments. Sensing cheap publicity, errant public representatives will only disrupt and live coverage is not going to benefit the democracy or public. By live coverage will a new scheme or new road come up?

It is people’s right to know what business is done in the Assembly. Informed citizenry will develop only if people know what their elected representatives speak in the House. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have exclusive TV channels to air the sessions live. But, I am interested to know if my MLA correctly represents the problems of the constituency. Governor’s speech and budget is telecast live now, therefore, the government may not need much in terms of infrastructure to telecast the entire session. Even if it fears that live telecast will cause financial strain, let them webcast like Kerala. We are not insisting that it should be aired live only on television.

Even CM’s office and secretariat can be monitored online 24x7 there. Or let them follow Karnataka and allow all channels to cover the Assembly proceedings live. Andhra has even engaged an agency to telecast sessions live.

As per the existing arrangement, people will not know what transpired in the House unless newspapers print. Sometimes, newspapers miss a few things too. Watching Assembly sessions live will help people in the long run to decide if they have elected the right persons.

The whole nation watched it when an MP tore the Lokpal draft in Parliament. Let the people watch everything and judge the quality of the debates and the MLAs.