RAGGING !!!!!

 

One of the most dreaded and controversial events in a college student's life, specially in residential schools and colleges is ragging. Conceived and nurtured in  colonial schools in England and Australia, it has found its crudest and most disgusting expression in the residential technical colleges of India and others in the subcontinent.

Postulated  as THE method to ensure discipline and cooperation between Juniors and Seniors, and as a moderate teasing, breaking-the-ice procedure, it has degenerated into a ludicrous and dangerous game in which no holds are barred, where psychiatrically degenerated individuals unleash their hidden idiosyncrasies on a group of teenaged,apprehensive individuals, who have little idea of the ethos of that particular institution.

While the milder forms can be acceptable, the hard core ragging soon starts in most of these places. Quickly, it degenerates into a debauched sexual dialogue, and often these susceptible entrants are subjected to erotic assaults, bordering and then  actually becoming sexual crimes. No lines are drawn except the morality of the ragger, which inevitably is the lowest common denominator of the senior students. Education (the primary reason that these people are there for) often takes a back seat. After the ragging period is over, supposedly the seniors and juniors are "friends" and everything is hunky dory from then on--even though the ragged students have been immeasurably scarred for life.

(This girl tried to commit suicide)

While the sexual ragging is more in some medical colleges and marine engineering colleges, physical assault raises its ugly head in many places, often reflecting the repressed psyches of the raggers. Ragging sees the worst expression of humanity, as every ragger finds solace in numbers and tradition (specially of their own experiences when they were freshers).

(Perpetrators of the assault on Aman. How could they be so vicious?)

Ragging has assumed epidemic proportions and a serious Law and Order problem, so much so that the Supreme Court of India banned it in a historic 2001 judgment. The Court defined ragging as "Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, Indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities which causes or Is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student".

A report from 2007 by the Indian anti-ragging group Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education analyzed 64 ragging complaints, and found that over 60% of these were related to physical ragging, and 20% were sexual in nature.The situation has worsened so much so that young innocent students are committing suicide and now some are being murdered.The website is www.noragging.com.

Another link detailing the Andhra Pradesh Government Act is:- http://janagama.com/stopragging/objectives.html

India's only registered Anti Ragging NGO, Society Against Violence in Education (SAVE) has noted 7 reported ragging deaths in the year 2007 alone and 31 reported deaths in the period 2000-2007.

Ragging is now seen to be a clear infringement of Human Rights, and subjected to the laws of the land.

Ragging has no utility in the 21st century. Bans have to be strictly implemented, punishments for violation have to be severe , exemplary and prompt, and repeaters have to be subjected to police action. The Wardens have to be strict in the implementation and they themselves should be subjected to punishment if they fail.

As a Freshman in Medical College, Kolkata, we were taken on a tour of the entire campus, treated to refreshmennts and cultural functions and that was it. Queries were more out of curiousity and getting acquainted rather than teasing or embarrassing us. I do not think that the graduates from this hallowed institution of 175 years are in anyway maladjusted or unfriendly or misfits. We respect our seniors and have wonderful working relationships with them even now.

Let us take a resolve today that ragging will be banned from campuses forever, a just requiem for an outdated colonial practice. As for the raggers, identify and isolate them, and convince them to stop, because this is a useless practice and could land you in jail.And if you are trying to take revenge because you were ragged--break the cycle by being strong yourself. The Institutions will be better places without ragging.

Then Aman Kachru's death would have taught us something forever.

And no parent has to face this scene....