ANUSHA SELVAMANI
Six speakers from Singapore and India took turns to showcase their debating prowess at a Pattimandram (a Tamil debate show) on Jan 7.
The programme was organised by Little India Shop Owners and Heritage Association’s (LISHA) Literary Club to celebrate the Tamil harvest festival Pongal.
Held at Poli@Clive street, the debate drew a crowd of a few hundred people, and was moderated by Pala. Karuppiah, a noted Indian politician, film producer and author.
Mr Karuppiah kicked off the debate by introducing the topic “Is the conduct of today’s youth a blessing or worry”, before allowing the speakers to flex their oratory skills.
LISHA Literary Club’s vice-president P. Ganga stood up first to justify her argument that the conduct of youngsters is a blessing.
“The younger generation are taking part in many activities and are tech-savvy. How can we say their conduct is a worry?” she asked.
“Many of them also devote time to volunteering. During the recent Chennai and Thoothukudi floods, it was mostly youngsters who helped rescue families.”
Mr Arjun Narayanan, a member of the LISHA Literary club, said the way teenagers carry themselves these days is worrying.
“Before, when you visited someone’s home, the hosts greeted and welcomed you with open arms,” he said. “Now, kids in the house are glued to their handphone screens, and they don’t even bother to look at the guests. This is so shameful.”
With supporters cheering him on, Mr Arjun continued: “Youngsters now are hooked to social media, which can be a positive or negative influence, but it seems it’s usually the latter.”
LISHA Literary Club’s president Kannan Seshadri said it’s worrying to see teenagers succumb to peer pressure and lose focus in life. “Sometimes, they even take extreme steps,” he added.
Mr Ravikumar Balakrishnan, a speaker from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, argued: “Youngsters’ negative attitude and well-being should be attributed to the parents.”
Mr Karuppiah shared his thoughts on the topic before giving his judgement.
While he agreed youngsters these days are talented and excel in many fields, he also felt they have a penchant for breaking societal norms.
“Although their talents are a blessing, some of their acts are worrying,” he said.
