Playing practical jokes on somebody, teasing someone" is how the dictionary defines it. But in the Indian context, it meaning is somewhat different, somewhat more inhuman. Ragging is an annual 'tradition ' in which the victims are solely the freshmen. The seniors catch hold of them in the colleges and hostels and make them do anything, just anything to satisfy their demands. The poor freshman cannot protest because that would mean ostracism from the entire senior batch and total isolation among his batch mates. It may lead to even harsher ragging. No one will ever want to incur the wrath of the seniors who stand united (which is their ONLY strength). A loss of self control in search of fun is the initiator of ragging. It continues on for about a month or so and after that the things are back to normal. This ritual is more of 'tradition' and gets its strength from the fact that those ragged in the first year see to it that they have their revenge next year when they are in the 'driver's seat
Another kind of ragging takes place when the then students of the college join hostels. It is like a entry fee or a toll tax to enter the hostel. In such a case one finds the person whom he already knows for long, ragging him. Justification: Ragging gains its justification from the fact that it 'breaks the ice' between the seniors and the freshers. It is a means of 'interaction' , they say. But interaction is a two sided affair where both the sides have to say something about each other. Contrary to this, here the only one who tells anything about himself/herself is the fresher, that too in a way which his senior will like. It is also considered a grow-up tonic by the raggers and a must for the freshmen to face the world. Raggging and bullying: Please, don't confuse ragging with bullying . Bullying is a "no holds barred" scenario wherein everyone is the target of the bully whether he/she is a batchmate or junior or senior. Bullying continues all the year round and it is not reciprocative. Bullies are there in every walk of life and school/universities are no exceptions. But Ragging is not Bullying. The differences are subtle but well defined. Ragging has a large number of people involved in it and is quite prevalent , though it is not so with bullying. Forms of Ragging: Ragging can be and has been terrible. I would like to give you a glimpse as to what all can happen under its garb: -
Freshers are put into threatening situations . A student was told to stand on the railing of a building, while the ragging session was in progress. Physical torture and beating is also -
One is made to enact funny situations , sing songs (sometimes lewd), and dance to them. Embarrassing questions are asked about various body parts, different processes -
Abusive language is 'taught' , rather one is made to abuse people and one can imagine the agony for someone who does not want to do that -
One is made to do the work of the seniors not only during the day, but also the whole night. -
Stripping is such a common thing that it is not news at all to students going to colleges. Ragging also takes other sex oriented forms. This kind of ragging is more prevalent in hostels -
Drug abuse also finds a role in ragging. Freshers are many a times pushed in to using some drug
These were just some examples. The freshman has to perform anything and everything the senior can imagine him to do. All this and much more to satisfy the falsified egos of the seniors who should have been the role model.. Many of these students are away from their family for the first time. He needs help and what he gets is such inhuman treatment... Consequences: Mild Ragging leads may only lead to moral problems, embarrassments and depression in extreme case. It instills constant fear in the mind of fresher during the ragging period. Harsh ragging may just lead to anything like serious depression, phobia, loss of dignity, injury, murder or suicide by the fresher. When something like this happens, it is not only the student who suffers,(with 1-2 children in each family these days) his entire family may suffer. The 'raggers' (who actually come out of us) have ruined scores of families and many more may be ruined just because we are lending a deaf ear to all this. Many students leave studies because of this. I remember one of my friends telling me about a student who came back from a prestigious Medical college unable to bear the ignominy of being ragged. One can imagine his plight which instigated him to take such a step. Measures taken: Ragging in the recent years took such a big devilish form that the government at the state levels also started taking interest in solving it. Many laws were made to curb this inhuman practice. Many states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra have already banned ragging. Many others are in the process of passing bills against it. The Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act , 1999 states that "...ragging means display of disorderly conduct, doing of any act which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological harm or raise apprehension or fear or shame or embarrassment to a student in any educational institution..." The Supreme Court has also issued guidelines regarding this in a recent order. But laws will be of no use unless they are implemented. The need of the hour is collective action. By Mohit Garg
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