By 2020, India be a Developed Nation- Debate in Riyadh.

Yesterday (19/1/2006) I went to see a debate competition among Indian School Students in Riyadh. There were four schools. Each school was represented by a teacher and a student. The debate was organized by a Body of Indian community “SAMHATI”. It means integration. They have started this body to integrate the Indian community in Riyadh.

The topic for the Debate is “By 2020, India, a developed Nation!!” The dream of our Hon’ble President Dr. A.P.J.Abdulkalam! As usual, the event started as per Indian Standard Time. There was little delay in the start. Then, the Key note address! Then lighting of lamp of Knowledge! Then, few words by the chief guest!! The unwritten sequence of any event!! As it is little long from college days, these things are almost forgotten.

As the debate started, everyone was given time to present his/her points. Congrats to the teachers! The Students were talking better than the teachers!! It’s pride of the teachers. It should have been their coaching.

Even, I was thinking that what school students could talk on this subject. But to my surprise, they did well. The education has changed a lot. The secondary school students were talking about GDP, Sensex, Poverty, rural economy, service sector boom, missing of Industrial revolution, India –china comparisons and Unemployment Rate etc. It’s nice to hear about India, when we are away from India. I heard about Sensex only after I came out of Engineering. Here, I am seeing kids debating on Sensex. I was astonished when an 8th std. student handled the question on “how the Sensex boom is going to help Indian Rural economy”. He attempted so well that he was given the first prize. He got the claps of the audience for answering the question. Really a Budding star!

The topic is well balanced. Equally easy and difficult for the both the sides! For the opponent team it is easy that they have to simply point out the problems. Thanks to our media, it is being done very well by them. They have picked a lot from that. The difficulty for them is that they have to take a pessimistic outlook about the country. But fared well also. They went to the extent of presenting “Unity in Diversity” as “Confusion in diversity”.

The proponent team generally limited them to statistics on IT Industry, Top Indians in the world, Indian scientists in NASA and some Patriotic musings. The same old stories! But it’s easy for them to take an optimistic outlook

After the topic the next interesting thing was The Master of ceremony. He kept the debate alive. In between, there was a quiz on cricket also. One Interesting question was, “There was 10 ways a batsman could get out. Could anyone list them?”

HATS OFF TO SAMHATI!!!