Gujarat National Law University Moot Court Competition 2017 was a name of hope, experience and responsibility to us. It was a platform where we found ourselves in a completely new circs. In fact, GNLU Moot Court Competition introduced us with a completely new world of knowledge.
The journey started on 4th February from Bangladesh. At first our destination was Kolkata and it was a journey by bus. Everything was going smoothly but suddenly we got stuck in traffic jam and the duration of the traffic jam was only 8 hours (!) near the ferighat. So, it took a long time to reach Kolkata and all of our plans of visiting and exploring Kolkata went in vain. At last we somehow reached Kolkata on 5th February at 6.00 pm, hired a taxi cub and this time our destination was Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Airport for catching our flight which was from Kolkata to Gujarat. Luckily we didn’t miss our flight and safely reached Gujrat at 1.30 am and one of the hospitality team members of GNLU was waiting there to receive us according to the provided travel plan. From then we were charmed and pleased at the hospitality and continuous polite behavior of the organizers of GNLU Moot Court Competition.
The organizer took us to the GNLU campus and we were allocated at their own versity hostel. Honestly, we didn’t face any trouble in case of our accommodation. Accommodation and food were free for all the participants and guests. The campus area is just wonderfully beautiful. Whatever will be narrated about the campus will be less and it includes GURU BHABAN, SHISYA BHABAN, auditorium (they generally say it AURA), library, classrooms with interesting names like “devotion”, “equity”, “compassion” etc. The campus is very neat and clean and on top of that GNLU is a place full of security and punctuality.
The next day we became busy with our study materials and our researcher was trying heart and soul to give his best effort as there was researchers’ test along with inauguration ceremony on that evening. Through the researchers’ test our researcher faced a lot of new things and gathered a lot of experiences indeed.
After that on 8th and 9th February, it was our preliminary round. On our very first day (8th February), for our submission we entered the court room at 11.30 pm and it ended at 2.30 am which was supposed to happen in between 7.00-8.00 pm. Judges were asking too many questions and we enjoyed the question answer part as with every question we were learning a lot of things regarding mooting and unfortunately that was the reason behind the time trouble. But it was a new experience for us and it will remain ever fresh in our memory that we gave our submission at midnight. The second day of our preliminary round (9th February) passed well. Both the days of our preliminary round has taught us a lot of new things regarding mooting from our respected judges. Judges were so helpful and they helped us in finding out the loopholes of our memorial, arguments, submission etc. Not only that but also judges gave compliments to all the teams and that inspired us a lot.
On 10th February, certificate giving ceremony took place and we attended the function. The valedictory ceremony took place on 11th February and our short but memorable and educative mooting journey came to an end.
This mooting journey has also given us a lot of friends in home and abroad including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, United States of America, Afghanistan etc. Teams from these countries participated in the GNLU Moot Court Competition including four other teams from Bangladesh of different universities. As a result of this we got the opportunity to talk with them, shared our own thoughts and experiences, told them about SCLS and also invited them in advance for our any kind of national and International Programmes under the banner of SCLS. Last but not the least; we gave them our SCLS LAW REVIEW as a token of collaboration with them as it will remind them of us.
GNLU Moot Court competition has really taught us a lot of things like techniques of writing the best memorial, rules of making strong arguments as well as submission. We cannot even forget what we have learned, what we have experienced. It will be a life time memory and experience for us.
On 12th February our return journey started. On the same day we left the campus at 1.00 am as we had to catch our train which was scheduled at 3.30 am. But unfortunately it arrived at the Ahmedabad Railway station at 6.30 am and our train journey which was nearly for 63 hours got started. On 14th February at 9.30 pm we reached Santragachi,Kolkata. From there we came to the Kolkata New Market, booked our return bus ticket, and we stayed at Kolkata for one night. The next day on 15th February we started for Bangladesh at 12.45 pm and we reached Chittagong at 7.00 pm on the next day.
After finishing the Moot Court competition, Jahedul Islam Jahed and Mithila Barua left, But Akif Mohammed stayed for the GAITL-2018. As they were leaving, Akif was feeling jittery and nervous of being alone and feeling their apparition in here and there but tried to perk up himself gradually. The next day, the first GNLU Academy on Trade Law GAITL-2018 had been auspicated with an introductory ceremony wherein all the lecturers were feigned surprised while the other fellow participants exchanged surprised look hearing that Akif was the only Bangladeshi among them. However, the long awaited lectures of the academy on Trade Law commenced with the informed lecture of Dr. Prabhakar Singh an associate Professor and Dean, Jinadal Law School. He conveyed us the “Cut Flower Trade and Trade Constitutionalism”. After a small tea break, Mr. Santanu Mukharjee, an Advocate and Head of Ex lege Chambers, who wondered most after hearing that Akif was the only one there from Bangladesh. He taught us “Contemporary challenges to the multilateral trading system” and later on he happily gave me his address ensuring me to help us in any trade law related study. Following his lecture, Ms. Anuradha RV., partner, clarus Law associates, imparted his lecture on the “Relevance of Security Exceptions”. Finally the first day of academy had ended with a presentation on “World Trade Institute, University of Bern”. Finishing the lectures, Akif along with some participants had moved to see the GNLU library. The “keep calm and study” like environment of the library rendered them to spend for more than 5 hours ceaselessly in reading there and made them forget about taking the dinner!!!
The 2nd day, the silence settled over the room and the session started with the presentation of Franziska Sucker, a senior lecturer of the University of Withwatersrand, Johannesburg, excellently indoctrinated us about the “Developing Countries of the WTO”. The authority had brought her to the seminar not just to deliver her lecture and to see the faces of the participants but create them, and that was exactly what she had done. Everyone went for lunch right after the lecture of Mr. Rishab Rathuri, an associate of International trade and customs, Economic law practice, who apprised all the participants with his lively presentation on “President Trump’s trade agenda” a very time-demanded burning issue in the present Trade world. subsequently, we have finished the day around 5.30 pm with enjoying really wonderful presentations of Mr. Satwik Shekhar, consultant (legal) and Mr. James Nedumpara, Professor and Head, at centre for Trade and Investment Law, IIFT, where both of them tried their best to acquaint us with the ramifications across every discipline related tentatively to “investment laws” and “Renewable Energy and International Trade law including Its contemporary challenges”. When Akif got back to my room there in Training Residency, the stone of worriedness constricted his chest along with huge tension as he had not managed to book his train ticket, though they had had quality time throughout the day. However, he was trying to keep calm and focus on the problem. So, as Akif went to have lunch and there he accidentally met Kunal Singh a HUMAN of GNLU and some of his friend later who helped him heart and soul to relieve from the headache of booking train ticket to reach rail station and had suddenly became friends from total strangers. What he could say them was nothing but thanks from the core of my heart.
Then the third day of GNLU Academy on Trade law arrived its final day with the presentations of Mr. R. Adarsh Ramanujan, an independent counsel, Law Chambers of Adarsh Ramanujan, presented his 3 hour long conversant lecture on the “Regional Trade Agreements in a Multilateral Trade Regime” that was just enchanted us all. And right after the lunch break, Mr. R. Parthasarathy, the Principle partner and Country Head, LakshimiKumaran & Sridharharan Attorneys (the most famous Law chamber in India), his 2 and half hour long nerve recking lecture on The “Law Relating to Subsidies and Problems with Farms and Energy Subsidies” proved his highly intellectual persona. And Throughout all the 3 days, we all the participants grasped the lectures very carefully in the dead silent room and piped up numerous questions during the lecture time but in some points we were chimed in, got the proof that lawyers are not only professionals but also great teachers of Law. At last, the 3 day long GAITL 2018 came to conclusion with a Valedictory ceremony and an opportunity to do internship in LakshimiKumaran & Sridharharan. The next day, Akif did leave the spark gracefulness of GNLU to reach such a big Ahmadabad railway station with GNLU folks, but on the way to station, most surprisingly they had taken him to a visit of the most sought after tourist destination of Gujarat Sabarmati River Front and Mahatma Gandhi Ashram, where lies the saint like heart and vigilant presence of his Majesty Mahatma Gandhi. After having seen the sights of Ahmedabad city, finally we had reached the station to get on the train; they were waiting there until the train left the station. While boarding on train, Akif was calculating what he gained from this journey and all he could find was that it was a wonderful adventure to explore and a great learning experience, a journey to know thyself that can be cherished for lifetime as unforgettable memories. And we will wholeheartedly remain grateful for those who brought this opportunity for us and opened us up to finish the journey smoothly.
Team GNLU
