Lahore: For the first time in the history of the inter-school debate competition, a Pakistani team of students won the India Today Cup held at Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj, India Today reported Saturday. A number of leading Indian schools from different States were competing against the school students from Pakistan.
The team from Lahore College of Arts and Sciences (Lacas) represented Pakistan in the debate competition and bagged almost all the awards in the two-day event except for the third best speaker trophy which was won by Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai.
As many as eight teams competed in the event including Lacas (Lahore, Pakistan), La Martiniere (Kolkata), Scindia School (Gwalior), Mayo College Girls’ School (Ajmer), Vidyashilp (Bangalore), Vivek High (Chandigarh), Cathedral and John Connon (Mumbai), and The Doon School (Dehrandun).
Lacas and Cathedral and John Connon reached the Final where they debate on the topic, “International Olympic Committee should ban all countries that commit human rights violations from participating in the Olympics”.
The three-member Lacas argued in favour of the topic whereas the Cathedral and John Connon team opposed it. They also urged to sever all ties with countries violating the basic rights of their citizens.
“The only way of showing our solidarity and expressing our disgust with such countries is to cut all ties with them. Only by isolating them completely can we create a condition that will force them to act in accordance with global human rights conventions,” Indian Today quoted Hashim Bajwa, a Class XII student of LACAS.
