Say NO to RAGGING!!!

What is ragging?

 

In common parlance, ragging means playing practical jokes on somebody or teaching someone a lesson.

 

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India perhaps has given a more comprehensive meaning of ragging as under:

“Ragging is any disorderly conduct, whether by words spoken or written, or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any student, indulging in rowdy or indiscipline activities which cause or are likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the psyche of a fresher or a junior student.”

Some of the most popular forms of ragging in colleges are:

1. Dress Code Ragging: The freshmen are asked to dress in a specific dress code for a particular period of time. But this isn’t as easy as it seems. For the dress code prescribed is generally weird, example, dressing totally in white or black with the hair oiled and combed in a particular style. The dress code ragging may make the freshmen feel awkward and uncomfortable as it often brings them unnecessary attention from everybody.
2. Formal Introduction: This involves asking the freshmen to introduce themselves in ‘Shudh Hindi’. The introduction includes the freshmen’s name, address, school, marks, etc.
3. Verbal Torture: Verbal torture involves indulging in loose talks. The freshmen may be asked to sing the lyrics of any vulgar song or use abusive language while talking to the seniors.
4. Playing The Fool: The freshmen may be asked to enact scenes from a particular movie or mimic a particular film star. In many cases, the seniors may also ask the freshmen to do silly things like climbing a tree, kissing a tree, proposing to someone from the opposite sex, etc.
5. Hostel Ragging: Outstation students who stay in the hostel are most vulnerable to ragging. They may be asked to do all odd acts from cleaning the room of seniors to washing their clothes, from fetching them water or milk to completing their assignments.
6. Drug Abuse: This can be the worst form of ragging wherein the freshmen are forced to try drugs thereby driving them into addiction.

How Ragging Affects The Victim:

 

 

1. An unpleasant incident of ragging may leave a permanent scar in the victim’s mind that may haunt him for years to come.
2. The victim declines into a shell, forcing himself into ignominy and alienation from the rest of the world.
3. It demoralizes the victim who joins college life with many hopes and expectations.
4. Though incidents of physical assault and grievous injuries are not new, ragging also simultaneously causes grave psychological stress and trauma to the victim. 
5. Those students who choose to protest against ragging are very likely to face ostracism from their seniors in the future.
6. Those who succumb to ragging may drop out thereby hampering their career prospects.
7. In extreme cases, incidents of suicides and culpable homicide have also been reported.