VIDHYA Venugopal, a 9th grader at Marianas Baptist Academy has been on the CNMI for only four years, but this did not hinder her from understanding the political make-up of the commonwealth. After doing research about the Covenant, she was able to come up with a nine-page essay on whether it has fulfilled its purpose, 26 years after the CNMI became part of the United States.
And when she goes back to India this month to pursue her studies, Venugopal will bring with her a most memorable gift from the CNMI: being adjudged the best essayist for this year’s Covenant Essay Contest sponsored by the NMI Council for the Humanities.
“I have no plans of becoming a politician. I want to pursue medical studies to someday become a doctor. But I felt I could do a good essay about the Covenant if I try my best and believe in what I can do,” said Venugopal in an interview after the awarding ceremony at the House of Representatives last Friday.
Venugopal received a plaque of recognition and a cash prize of $350. The second prize winner was MBA’s Mina Yu who received a plaque and $250. Faye Yu, also from MBA, was the third place winner who got a plaque and a cash prize of $150.
In the first part of her essay, Venugopal briefly discussed each article in the Covenant. She then talked about particular sections in the agreement that have been challenged—land alienation, the right to a jury trial, customs and immigration and the minimum wage.
On land alienation that restricts land ownership to local residents, Venugopal believes it has its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages of land alienation, she said, are the following: preservation of the culture and traditions of the people, protection from misuse or exploitation and endorsement of development and independence.
The disadvantages, according to Venugopal, are the following: one might not get a very good deal on the land, there might not be any 25 percent NMI descendants in the future and it forces NMI descendants to marry indigenous people just to keep the property.
On the right to trial by jury, Venugopal believes that it is better than trial by a judge alone “because there is more than one individual’s opinion in the final verdict.”
On immigration issues, she said that CNMI is highly dependent on the garment and tourism industries for its revenues and that “any change in status would deteriorate the already depleted economy of the CNMI.”
