Digitised Assembly debates attract only 36,000 hits

CHENNAI: For many young people who have just reached voting age, the spirited debates that once filled the Tamil Nadu Assembly on issues such as the appointment of temple priests from all castes or the supply of free electricity to farmers may seem like distant history. Now, through a new digitisation initiative, those landmark moments are accessible at the click of a button.

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has launched a comprehensive online archive of its proceedings, making decades of debates and discussions available to the public. The project, implemented at a cost of about Rs 4 crore, has resulted in nearly 30 lakh pages of debates since 1952 being scanned and uploaded to a dedicated website (tnlasdigital.tn.gov.in).

The initiative aims to help younger generations, researchers, and policymakers understand the evolution of the State’s governance and political thought. Users can explore a wide array of topics, from the appointment of temple priests and the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils to contentious issues such as NEET and inter-state water disputes.

Among the earliest digitised debates is a spirited discussion on a resolution allowing persons from all castes to serve as temple priests. The resolution, moved by then Minister Mu Kannappan, drew criticism from Swatantra Party member KS Kothandaramiah, who argued, “A son learns from his father and then becomes an archaka. It is not like transferring an officer. This resolution is not practicable for implementation.”

Congress member TN Ananthanayaki supported the opposing view, while the then CM Karunanidhi and his Cabinet colleagues strongly defended the resolution. The full transcript is available on the website.

The archive also features records of other intense debates, including those relating to allegations that the DMK government extended weapon assistance to the LTTE.

An official from the Secretariat said, “We had planned to digitise the century-old debates. However, due to the poor condition of certain records, we could not scan documents from 1921 to 1951. The digitisation now covers proceedings from 1952 onwards.”

The official added that the project was conceived to make the Assembly’s institutional memory accessible to the public and to encourage civic awareness. However, the reach of the website remains limited, with only around 36,400 visits recorded so far.

Despite this, legislators have welcomed the initiative, saying it makes reference and research work easier.

Ezhil Arasan, MLA from Kancheepuram, said, “While browsing the site, I encountered some basic issues. The search function is not fully operational, and certain pages are missing. Once these glitches are fixed, it will serve as a comprehensive archival resource.”