Privileged among privileged

When I visited the Gujarat State Assembly for the first time as a student of Journalism, it was an enviable awe inspiring experience. Assembly sergeants in impeccable white uniform directing strangers and visitors with a command of authority.And when I visited the Assembly to cover proceedings as a reporter of Indian Express, I had another experience of the Assembly.Even the elite, the media- not a popular term in those days, had to stick to rules.

I distinctly remember my first day. While leaving the gallery, I had left my papers on the writing desk. A senior next to me drew my attention to the papers. He asked me to put all my papers in the desk so that nothing flew away from the desk. He explained to me that if papers flew and got into the House, I would be punished. It amounted to throwing papers into the gallery, common form of protest in the Assembly by outsiders.Such was the sense of decorum of the House and spirit of help of fellow journalists.

Now, the atmosphere in the corridors of the Assembly is more or less same. Strict discipline for outsiders and strangers. MLAs, officers in the officers gallery and visitors in the visitors gallery have to follow the strict discipline. Speaker is the ultimate unchallenged undisputed authority for all. Everyone is conscious of the the omnipresent authority of the Speaker. There is an unwritten dress code. Sober colours and formal clothes are still a tradition followed by all.

Last week, Jagdish Thakore of Congress drew the attention of the Speaker to two senior officers of the Information Department sitting in the visitor gallery.There was nothing wrong in the sense that anyone can be in visitors gallery. But the officers slipped out of the gallery the moment the issue was raised.

But the scenario in the press gallery has undergone a sea change. Journalists talk freely at a decibel that is audible even to some members in House. Frequent movement in the gallery attracts attention of everyone in the House. There is a good number of women journalists. In the last session, Sergeant had found a lady journalist giving a note to a sewak in the House from the press gallery. Proceedings were on. He called the lady and warned her . This was one of the several such incidents which showed changing times in the gallery. This week again a lady journalist was seen sending a note through sewak.

Assembly has audio-visual recording of the proceedings. At certain places like office of the Leader of Opposition, Canteen and press room one can see these proceedings live. Earlier this month, newly elected Speaker Ashok Bhatt found a channel showing the scenes which were removed from the record of the proceedings of the House. He sought explanation from the channel. Top brass of the channel was in the Assembly. They tendered an apology. The issue was settled. However, after two days the Speaker issued a circular which pointed out that recording of the proceedings of the House through the network of Close Circuit TV was not allowed and asserted that there should not be any recording.

The problem is that there is a very wide gap between seniors and juniors. It is quite difficult to meet the challenging attitude of juniors who can question anyone about anything. Who can dare tell them about the decorum of the press gallery ! People in the press gallery are privileged among privileged!!