Kendriya Vidyalaya 1 hosted the 33rd regional youth parliament but since we were the hosts, our school was not allowed to participate. We saw different KV schools come to our campus and over two days, discuss issues of national importance.
The event began with cultural programmes by in-house students. Sara Lahiri and senior students presented music, junior students danced to Ganesh vandana etc. “You children are the custodians of our country and events like this will strengthen the book of democracy, which is the instrument of our development,” said our principal Sudhanya Karan to motivate students.
The first school to take stage was KV Barrackpore (air force station). Students, dressed as ministers and opposition leaders, discussed topics such as the national education policy and on bringing back school drop-outs.
Swasti Bhowmick, one of their opposition leaders, criticised the Agnipath scheme and proposed a bill to disbar persons implicated in criminal cases from contesting elections. Anusmita (she doesn’t use a surname) proposed the strengthening the RTI Act and reduction of interference of parliament in judicial matters. The ruling party, in its defense, claimed: “When power marries a criminal, it gives birth not to a saint but to a bigger criminal.”
The Youth Parliament in progress
Students of KV Sevoke Road, Siliguri, students spoke of India’s ill-fated relations with China and Pakistan, and questioned why no steps were being taken against them. They also discussed India's poor performance in international sports events like the Olympics. Orko Sengupta questioned quotas for children of minister in schools. Anjani Kumari slammed demonetisation. “Is reducing the amount of cash your idea of going cashless?” she asked.
The Cooch Behar KV students spoke of government schemes and protested the idea of taxing almost every necessary item used by households. Students of KV IIT Kharagpur presented a bill with increased opportunities for the disabled. Rupali Saha of the Opposition spoke on women’s rights and wanted better relief for cyclone-affected coastal areas, to which their forest minister responded with the data on mangroves conservation programmes.
The students looked quite the part in quintessential politician attire. “It was fun wearing white kurta pyjama and white cap and play politician for a day,” smiled Sanglap of KV Cossipore. Their students discussed Covid vaccines and students of KV (ordnance factory) Dum Dum discussed skill developments and entrepreneurship. Swarnalli Bose of the opposition wanted to know what the government had done to improve the quality of drinking water.
Former athlete and Parliamentarian Jyotirmoyee Sikdar being welcomed
The task of judging the schools was on Sanjiv Sinha, deputy commissioner of the KV Sanghatan’s regional office, A.K. Jha, principal of KV 2, Salt Lake, and former athlete and politician Jyotirmoyee Sikdar.
“This youth parliament presents opportunities for students to learn about Parliament procedures. I also appreciate that most of the participants here were girls, pointing towards significant female empowerment. Our country is full of bright and hardworking students who can contribute to its development,” said Sikdar, a resident of CL Block who was a Parliamentarian from 2004 to 2009.
KV IIT Kharagpur was adjudged the winner with KV (ordnance factory) Dum Dum and KV Cossipore coming first and second runners-up. “Success is not final and loss is not deadly. It is our willingness to persist that matters,” said Ena Majumdar on behalf of the victorious Kharagpur school.
S. Deepashri, biotechnology teacher of the host school and one of the emcees of the programme, praised the students’ effort. “Our country is in dire need of sincere young minds and who better than you, students, to carry our nation’s legacy forward,” she said.