Martyrs Day: Debate competition held

CHENNAI: Nandini, a voice for the deprived, organised a debate competition for college students on the subject “Promotion of elite TASMAC clubs by Government of Tamil Nadu - Is it appropriate ?” on Sunday as part of its activities to mark Martyr’s Day. The debate was conducted since the concept of prohibition was dear to Mahatma Gandhi.Twenty five students from different Chennai city colleges participated in the debate. P K N Panicker, a poet and social activist, K Hemalatha, Professor of Mathematics, Anna University, K R Krishnan, President, Nanganallur Citizens Forum formed the panel of judges.G Saranya and  K Chandrasekhar from the  DRBCC Hindu College won the first prize while Aishwarya Mohan from S S N Engineering College and  R Ilango from  DRBCC Hindu College won the second place.Some interesting observations were made by the students during the debate.Around 80 per cent of the students were of the view that the decision of the government to open elite TASMAC clubs was flawed, while 20% of the students termed it as inevitable.They felt that the  rapid spread of liquor consumption in Tamil Nadu was now alarming and the move to open elite TASMAC clubs would make the situation even more worse. At present, there were some people who hesitated to go to such shops as the conditions there were dirty. With the elite clubs coming in, these people would go to such places. Students complained that while the statutory warning against the drinking habit was printed in small letters, the names of the brands were exhibited in bold letters.