New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) “Be people friendly” and “safeguard public interest” — these are two lessons 25 first-time lawmakers from Arunachal Pradesh were asked to remember while serving people as their representatives.
The Arunachal MLAs were in parliament Wednesday for an orientation programme inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Kumar emphasised that every member, particularly the newly elected ones, “should make a serious effort to comprehend the rules of procedure”.

“Only with that will you be able to safeguard public interest,” she said.

“Be people-friendly legislators,” the Lok Sabha speaker urged, observing that it was important to ensure that the content and quality of debates that take place in assemblies were of a high order befitting their status as people’s representatives.

“Democracy demands that legislators listen to and respect differing perceptions, even when they disagree with their political opponents. It is through such democratic interaction only that they could arrive at a consensus and broaden their own perspectives,” Meira Kumar added.