International   

Young ‘parliamentarians’ show their debating talent

GULBARGA: There were no walkouts, no dharnas, no slogan shouting, no tearing of official documents or hurling the public address systems at each other in the moot Parliament organised for high school students in the district. The entire proceeding was effective and informative.

The district-level moot Parliament contest organised by the Education Department to create awareness among the younger generation about the parliamentary democracy at Sharanabasaveshwar Residential Public School in Gulbarga was a pleasant departure from the usual happening in Parliament and the Assembly where the disruption is a daily affair.

The presentation of the arguments by students both in Kannada and English was packed with facts and figures and their speeches did not cross the border line of decency.

The issue which dominated the proceedings of the moot Parliament was the illegal mining at Bellary which rocked the State Assembly and the State politics for many months.

The students sitting in the Opposition Benches raised the issue in the “zero hour” and pointed out the alleged involvement of a Minister in the illegal mining and the involvement of the Chief Minister in this. This followed a mild pandemonium and the ruling party legislators refuting the allegations said that the Chief Minister or the Minister concerned was no way involved in the scam.

The students also raised the issue of farmers’ suicide, natural calamities and loss to agriculturists and other issues.

Under Secretary of the State Parliamentary Affairs Department G. Sridhar. inaugurating the moot Parliament, said that a similar event would be organised at the State-level in January. The best among the five participants in the contest from each district would be chosen to participate in the State-level contest.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Medvedev asks Putin to be his Premier
No place for terrorism, says Rajapaksa
Young ‘parliamentarians’ show their debating talent
Algiers blasts kill at least 60
N-arms in safe hands, says Pakistan
Hindraf leader arrested after bail
Anger as rapists of minor escape jail term
The graveyard as bustling café
Russia cherishes ties with India: Putin

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu