Altercation: The Great Debate

To focus on Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies, The NorthCap University, Gurgaon (NCU) organized a debating event on the theme of his vision of a secular state  where religious values are cherished and respected in all spheres of life, public as well as private and no religion is allowed to dominate the other.Abhivyakt, the Speech and Debating Club, NCU, under Centre for Languages Learning (CLL), organized ‘Altercation: The Great Debate’, an inter-collegiate debate competition on ‘Interpretation of secularism works in opposition to freedom of religion which undermines its constitutional validity’ on 7 October 2016. Students from colleges across the country participated in the event. 

The debate consisted of two rounds in which participants from fifteen teams from colleges all over the country enthusiastically participated and argued their stand.  Six teams were selected for the final round. Hans Raj College;  Jamia Millia Islamia; MSIT, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi; Aligarh Muslim University; Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow; Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida were the finalists. The debate brimmed with intellectual arguments on the constitution and freedom to practice various rituals in India.

The thought provoking topic for debate was also highlighted by the comments of a young, eminent Prof. (Dr) Gnyana Gurunathan, the Chief Guest and Special judge for the evening. After a vibrant session of arguments, which flew back and forth, Anuj Bansal and Sahil Yadav of DrRam Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow emerged as winners while Sidharth Arora and Rajat Bawaniwal, Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia were declared as the runners-up. The faculty coordinator for the event was Dr Divyabha Vashisth.