SHILLONG:
The National Youth Parliament, which began at NEHU on May 11, attracted participants from 26 institutions across the nation. The two-day program’s opening session was attended by Prof. Indrajit Dube, Vice-Chancellor of the National Law University of Meghalaya. The guest of honour was Isawanda Laloo, IAS, Director of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, who also gave a speech that inspired and uplifted the young participants.
In her motivating address,Laloo discussed a number of societal challenges, including climate change, drug abuse, addiction, and unemployment. She also discussed how young people might act as beacon of change in these areas. Young people should play a part in changing the dynamics of the community, she said, noting that they make up over 70% of the population in Meghalaya. She brought up the issue of overqualified youngsters applying for positions that are much below their qualifications while focusing on entrepreneurship, saying that it was time for young people to stop looking for jobs and start creating them instead, as this would eventually benefit society.
She thanked NEHU for hosting a National Level event with participants from various institutions in several states while addressing the audience. She also said that she herself is a graduate of this esteemed institution and that, before joining the Civil Services, she worked as a teacher for a year.
The event’s chief guest, Prof. Indrajit Dube, vice chancellor of the National Law University of Meghalaya, gave a speech on the importance of young people in democracy and decision-making. Prof. Dube emphasised the need to educate the youth about the government process. He asserted that the Youth Parliament is crucial to the development of the country’s future leaders. Because the dynamics of society fluctuate with time, context, and the type of society, it addresses the better application of social concerns and offers answers to such difficulties.
Prof. Dube asked the young participants to set an example for others, act responsibly, and cultivate clear thinking. Young people, according to him, should cultivate the traits and habits necessary to receive criticism well and learn from it while also making necessary corrections or improvements. He also urged the participants to develop their leadership skills and learn how to effectively communicate their thoughts, ideas, and opinions in order to influence others.
In his speech, the vice chancellor of NEHU noted that “The youth have played a significant part in changing the dynamics of politics in this magnificent country. The Indian Democracy has experienced a lot of changes in the last seven decades.They represent our country’s present and future. Youth indulgence in the democracy is therefore necessary today. The youth of India are proving to be a responsible segment of the population that want to see changes in governance.The youth is not afraid to express their opinions or to take responsibility for the results that follow.
Additionally, he said, “Youth are also conscious that they have obligations when it comes to the nation and that nobody else could save the country which may soon be in a catastrophe. A culture of democratic involvement needs to be fostered, especially among young people. Young people nowadays have equal and better possibilities to obtain information and learn about politics and the democratic process.
Students debated two hot-button issues of the day on the opening day of the Youth Parliament. The first session’s discussion topic was “Should there be limits on free speech to protect against the hate speech? “, and Patricia Mukhim presided over it. Following the discussion among the participants,Mukhim, the session chair, gave a summary of the conversation and shared her perspective with the audience. The discussion was held in both languages, and the participants were judged on their arguments, body language, clarity of speech, rebuttal, and sense of humour. The chair gave the teams specific instructions regarding the use of well-reasoned arguments that were backed up by pertinent data and were delivered with conviction.
After the speakers from each house briefly summarised their remarks, the chair, Patricia Mukhim, underlined the significance of free speech for a nation like India and, more significantly, a free press that allows for the unafraid expression of truth. She emphasised how the argument for restricting free expression might be a sneaky governmental ruse that we frequently fall for. She continued by describing how hate speech differs from free speech, which the constitution already defines.
Shri. S.P. Mahanta, Senior Advocate, Meghalaya High Court, who served as the session’s chairman led a discussion on ‘Reservation policies in India have done more harm than good’. He emphasised the significance of understanding the Reservation policy, which is a result of earlier constitutional disputes. In relation to the reservation policy, there are a few methods that need to be developed. He believes that reservation policies weaken the spirit of competition and that they must eventually be stopped. We must all work together and get along with each other when it comes to reservation policy.