“From tomorrow you will cover Parliament,” is what I was told one fine morning by my boss. This gave me mixed feelings. There was the excitement to cover Parliament, which meant I was “recognised” as a political reporter, but also the apprehension about whether I could find my way in.
It’s been 20 years, but each day has been etched in my memory. The first challenge was to understand the difference between the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. A small tip from a seasoned journalist taught me the trick: red carpet means Rajya Sabha and green Lok Sabha. And then began my journey and process of learning through the corridors of power. Finding my way to the offices of political parties and to chambers of ministers. To meet the Special Protection Group (SPG) for the first time and learn that they protect the Prime Minister.
I remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM and so carefree were those days that he was standing alone outside gate number 4 through which most ministers go. I walked up to him and got his interview. It’s almost unthinkable now as security has been tightened following the 2001 Parliament attack.
This nostalgia is because soon the old Parliament building will be a thing of the past as MPs shift to the new Sansad Bhawan.
Covering Parliament is never easy as each room sees a story and meetings, and news is often filtered. But the corridors have been a good source. When the Nanavati Commission report came out in 2005, there was a scramble among reporters like me to get a copy of it. But as I stood around wondering, the late Pramod Mahajan walked up to me and gave me a copy and it was a scoop.
What is it about the old Parliament that evokes this nostalgia? A lot of my political learning came from here. Like the Parliament attack, which tested the resilience of both the security and the many journalists and cameramen covering it. It showed the perils of Parliament coverage, which has not been the same anymore with increased security.
The other memory is attached to food. The canteen. The early morning cup of tea with poha, the oily bread pakoda, or cutlet is now just a memory as the menu has changed and access is limited. The food was subsidised but then, correctly, the subsidy has been removed. The small media canteen was the place where notes were exchanged over food and some netas came to visit us.
The canteen was handled by the Railways. And depending on who handled the Railways, the canteen menu was tweaked. For example, during Mamata Banerjee’s tenure as Railways minister or when Pranab Mukherjee was finance minister, rosogolla, fried fish, and mustard fish curry were available. Now one can get dhokla in the canteen.
The old Parliament building has seen many fights and unruly scenes. Like the tearing of the Lokpal Bill. Or the discussions on the Women’s Reservation Bill. Or when Mayawati suddenly resigned. Or when the cash-for-votes scam emerged. Or pepper spray being used during the agitation for Telangana.
As the transition is made to the new building, the memories remain. Entry is limited to Parliament since the Covid pandemic, but access to information and bonhomie is not.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. The Parliament will shift to the new building, but for many of us who began political reportage with it, it will stand testimony to the education we received. Like many first-time parliamentarians as well.
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