Turn to the Lok Sabha Channel for real News.

15 minutes of live coverage on the Lok Sabha gave me more insight into what is happening in the country than the four papers, three magazines that I subscribe to and all news channels put together.

The media was literally “eclipsed” yesterday. Astrologers, scientists, and practitioners of tantra were hogging up the airwaves and print. As I was channel surfing waiting for dinner I landed on the Lok Sabha channel with live coverage of the house (at about 8:30 PM). With P C Chacko in the chair, members were given a minute to raise question of “importance to the public”. These JAM segments included some very very interesting statements –

• Why is the Indian Medical Association Supporting Pepsi Co?
• Why is there a 66% increase in Cancer cases in Kuttanad in Kerala?
• Why is Maharashtra building a dam on a river that supplies water to AP in contravention of a Supreme Court ruling?
• Why was there a blast in two explosives factories in Orissa and why were the located in the proximity of residential buildings?
• On a lighter side, why does the face of Tulsidas figure on Bidi packaging?

I must track this “public importance” session as it will probably tell me far more than what the media ever will.