SHILLONG: The 18th Dr MM Das Memorial All Shillong Inter-College and Higher Secondary School Debate Championship was won by a spirited team from the Laban Bengalee Boys’ Higher Secondary School here on Saturday.
Organized by the Zenith Jubelieth Club, the motion for the prestigious and oldest running debate competition in the city this year was “Child labour in India is a necessity”.
Debating on the controversial issue, speakers from both the treasury and opposition benches put up a spirited verbal fight with Editor of The Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim moderating the session as the Speaker.
While speakers for the motion observed that with majority of the population in India being poor, child labour was a reality that could not be wished away.
Those against the motion emphasized that as per constitutional provisions, employing children was a crime and called for a change in the mindset of people.
Summing up the session, chairperson, Patricia Mukhim underscored the need for public debate for a healthy society and rued the fact that the culture of debate was dwindling.
The panel of jury, including academicians Sukalpa Bhattacharjee, Farida Warjri and Binayak Dutta adjudged Kamesh Garen of Sankardev College as the best and the most humorous speaker.
While the champion team was represented by Shubhankar Choudhury and Rudranarayan Das, the team from Women’s College, represented by Pdiangaun Kharbitai and Rakhi Ghosh was adjudged the first runners-up.
