40th Manik Chandra Barooah debate successfully concludes

• Image Credit: Parikshit Das

• Sep 7, 2022 | Kabir Chakraborty

The best team award went to Anvisha Srivastava and Shalwin Yoosuf from Hindu College in Delhi, and the runners-up prize was bagged by Gaurav Kashyap and Raunak Rupam Parashar from J.B. College in Jorhat. 

Digital Desk: Today at
Cotton University's KBR Auditorium, the 40th Manik Chandra Barooah Memorial
National Level Debate Competition came to a successful conclusion. The day
marked the 107th death anniversary of the noted visionary of Assam. The
competition was organized by the Debating & Symposia Section of the
students’ union of Cotton University.

The best team award went to
Anvisha Srivastava and Shalwin Yoosuf from Hindu College in Delhi, and the
runners-up prize was bagged by Gaurav Kashyap and Raunak Rupam Parashar from
J.B. College in Jorhat. The prizes for the best and second-best debater went to
Samar Raja from Ramjas College and Shalwin Yoosuf from Hindu College,
respectively.

Kaushik Deka, the Executive
Editor of India Today, presided over the house as the speaker of the debate. In his
concluding remarks, he said that we suffer intolerance everyday, in every human
encounter. “Intolerance is largely because of one’s own dominant ideology. It is
very contextual. As individuals, we need to stop being so obsessed about news
and stop believing in each and every media narrative,” he added.

Anju Talukdar, Human Rights
legal expert, Prasanta Jyoti Baruah, Executive Editor of The Assam Tribune, and
Prof. Dhruba Pratim Sarma, faculty of the Department of Political Science,
Gauhati University, graced the competition as judges. The topic of the debate
was “In the opinion of the house, the growing culture of intolerance in
contemporary global spaces is a threat to individual freedoms - of expression,
faith and belonging”. Altogether, 14 teams from across the country and the
northeast participated in the debate.

Prof. Arupjyoti Choudhury,
Registrar of Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University (KKHSOU), graced the
inaugural event as the chief guest. In this address, he reminisced how in 1979
he organized the first MCB debate as the secretary of the Debate and Symposia
section under the guidance of the teacher-in-charge late Prof. Dilip Kr. Barua. In
his address, he said that interaction, discussion, and dissent are the
foundations of democracy. A democratic set-up cannot survive in the absence
of these three elements. He also urged that there is a need to develop a
culture of self-reliance and explore new avenues of livelihood, one that is
intrinsically linked to our culture.

Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharya,
Advisor of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and former president of the North
East Students’ Organisation (NESO) released a Souvenir at the inauguration
ceremony. “We will shine, we will make Cotton Shine, We will make Assam shine -
this should be the motto of every Cottonian,” he urged in his speech.

In his welcome address,
Prof. Diganta Das, Registrar of Cotton University, emphasized the crucial part
Manik Chandra Barooah played in the founding of the former Cotton College.
These student activities produce a tribe of independent thinkers. People with a
strong sense of duty and vision have been developed at Cotton University and
will continue to be," he added.

Also present at the inaugural programme were the Vice Chancellor of Cotton University Prof Bhabesh Chandra Goswami, the former Vice Chancellor
of KKHSOU, Prof. Srinath Baruah, the deans, faculty, and staff of Cotton
University, as well as students from Cotton University and other participating
institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Shri Ram College of Commerce,
Ramjas College, Hindu College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Manipur
University, Royal Global University, and University were also present at the
opening ceremony. The vote of thanks at the inaugural event was delivered by
the organizing secretary of the debate Sudarsan Sharma.

The competition encouraged young minds to discuss, consider, and critically think about the issue that
need immediate attention and was held after a two-year hiatus due to the global
pandemic.