LAHORE: An old versus young Ravians debate was held on Tuesday at the Government College University (GCU).

The debate was organised by the Old Ravians Union on the topic ‘The old generation has failed the nation’. A team of Old Ravians comprised poet and Rhodes Scholar Irshadullah Khan, educator Dr Arfa Sayyeda Zehra and Nasir Muneef Qureshi.

GCU Debating Society President Kazi Afaq Hossain chaired the contest that lasted for more than two hours, while Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah was the chief guest.

A team of Young Ravians comprising Debating Society President Mohiba Ahmed, Zahid Ali and Raza Aftab Gillani lamented that the “biggest crime” of the older generation was that they remained silent when radical action was required.

Mohiba said the older generation remained silent when women were being veiled and secluded against their will, when their bodies were being sensationalised and their minds trivialised.

The final arguments by Khan and Dr Zehra turned the tables and the audience eventually gave their verdict in favour of the Old Ravians.

Khan claimed the older generation had not failed the nation rather protected Pakistan against foreign conspiracies and ensured that it stayed stable. “When you say the old generation has failed the nation, did you mean that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ai Jinnah failed the nation or great old Ravians such as Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Prof Dr Abdus Salam, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Dr Samar Mubarakmand failed the nation or your parents or teachers who nurtured you?” he asked the young speakers.

Prof Shah thanked Old Ravians Union for reviving the tradition of debate between old and young students which had not been held for many years.

SPORTS GALA: Government Gulberg College for Women organised their Annual Sports Gala on campus.

The college’s former sports teacher Azra Mohsin was the chief guest, while faculty members and a large number of students participated in different games on the occasion.

All students were wearing colourful dresses as the event started off with a fancy dress show. Students also presented a march while waving colourful ribbons. The games included relay race, pot race, sack race volleyball match and tug of war.

Principal Dr Shazia Mukhtar lauded the services of former teacher Azra Mohsin and said she had served the college for 19 years.

The chief guest and principal distributed trophies and cash prizes among the winning students.

SCHOOL timings: The previous school timing stood restored following withdrawal of notification earlier issued by Punjab Schools Education Department due to smog in the province.

All the educational institutions shall now observe the school timings notified prior to the issuance of the notification of Nov 7.

Earlier, the Punjab Schools Education Department had issued a notification keeping in view the prevailing spell of heavy smog in the province.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017