Ragging: A Social Menace

RAGGING: A SOCIAL MENACE Presented By Vishav Jyoti

DEFINITIONS . The word 'ragging' means the acts of teasing, taunting, playing a practical joke upon someone or holding comic parades and other activities during certain period of a college term to raise money for charity. A traditional and systematical human rights abuse practiced by seniors upon freshers. The Karnataka Education Act, 1983 (Karnataka Act No. 1 of 1995) Section 2(29) defines ragging as: "causing, inducing, compelling or forcing a student, whether by way of a practical joke or otherwise, to do any act which detracts from human dignity or violates his person or exposes him to ridicule or forbear from doing any lawful act, by intimidating, wrongfully restraining, wrongfully confining, or injuring him or by using criminal force to him or by holding out to him any threat of such intimidation, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, injury or the use of criminal force."

History of Ragging Started in its mild form in the 8th century A.D. during the Olympics in Greece. *Later the armed forces of several countries started practicing this ritual. *During the 18th century several students organizations were formed in the Europe and the US and started practicing this with the new entrants in their community in its mild form. *During the world war I ragging underwent a massive transformation. Students who returned from war and rejoined college brought with them the techniques of severe form of ragging practiced in army camps. *Gradually in the 20th century ragging related violence started to escalate in the west.

History of Ragging.. *Soon it became a tool to take out revenge between the Blacks and Whites. Ragging came to India during the British Empire and was practiced mainly in the army and English public schools. *Till the early 70’s it remained in its mild form. From 1980 onwards media played a vital role in influencing ragging in India and it gradually became brutal in its form. *Rapid mushrooming of private engineering and medical colleges during the 90’s made ragging more rampant and severe. South India became the hub of this activity. *In 1997, Tamil Nadu became the first state to bring a legislation against ragging.

Around the World Ragging is termed with different names in different parts of the world eg. Hazing,fagging, pledging horse-playing, bullying etc. *First ragging related death occurred in 1873 in Cornell University in the US. *Ragging became a major problem in the west after world war I. It started to decrease in 70’s and 80’s. Strict laws were made and Universities and Colleges devised alternative methods of interaction. *Bullying, a milder form of ragging is still being practiced in some schools in the west . It involves teasing of students coming from different backgrounds.

FORMS OF RAGGING SEVERE RAGGING CAUSES 1.Revenge 2.Sexual desires 3.Be like me 4.Ego and ego hurt 5.Anger disposal bins 6.Disillusioned 7.Union interference

FORMS OF RAGGING… MILD RAGGING CAUSES 1. Jealousy and envy 2.A sigh of relief 3.I am the big boss 4.Dreams realized 5. For the sake of it 6.Fun in troubling and embarrassing

VULNERABLE LOCATIONS FOR RAGGING Ordinarily, places which are most vulnerable for ragging are: 1. Hostel blocks and messes, 2. Vacant class rooms, 3. Canteen, 4. Stadium or playground, 5. Student activity centers, 6. Bus stands.

THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND RAGGING Ragging Gives A Sense of Authority. Ragging Can Be A Means Of Retaliation. Satisfaction Of Sadistic Pleasures. Peer Pressure. Ragging Makes A Fashion Statement. Old ritual.

The Vicious Circle Students believe that they were ragged so they have the right to rag their juniors. 2. Students believe that it is the only way by which seniors and fresher can interact. 3. Students are inculcated with the logic that seniors who rag them will help them later. 4. Students feel that they are familiar with their seniors only because they were ragged and thus it ensures the legacy of ragging. 5. Every student has a different level of emotional sensitivity. Students are unaware of this and they expect that what they have gone through during their ragging must be endured by their fresher too.

Consequences Of Ragging: Shocking, But True 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 humiliation 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 isolation from their seniors in the future. 6. Those who succumb to ragging may drop out thereby obstruct their career prospects 7. In extreme cases, incidents of suicides and homicide have also been reported.

Consequences Of Ragging… How Ragging Affects the Victim’s Family One can imagine the plight of a ragging victim’s family, especially his or her parents who see their child suffering in pain and stress. Besides incurring medical and other incidental expenses to rehabilitate their child, they also have to bear the trauma of seeing his or her prospective career coming to an end.

Consequences Of Ragging… How Ragging Affects the Educational Institution 1. Severe media barrage in extreme cases of ragging lowers the character of the educational institution and destroy the respect and faith it commands from society. 2. Those who indulge in ragging bring a bad name to their college thereby hinder its reputation and goodwill in society.

Consequences Of Ragging… How Ragging Affects The Raggers 1. Ragging does not spare even its perpetrators. Those found guilty of ragging may be suspended, blacklisted and even permanently expelled from college. 2. Raggers should be given rigorous imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs.25000/-, or both. The educational institutions may prescribe other punishments such as suspension from classes, from the hostel, etc.

HOW TO GET RID OF RAGGING???????? Possible Solutions

The Hard Approach -- More accountability of the college staff in case of any ragging incident. -- Surprise checks by the hostel warden especially during the nights. -- System of ragging complaint to be made friendlier and safer for the freshers. --Faculty members to stay in close contact with the freshers and instill in them a sense of confidence.

HOW TO GET RID OF RAGGING???????? The Soft Approach -- Promote alternative methods of interactions e.g.. Dramas, community work, adventurous sports, short trips, evening games and gathering in the presence of hostel warden, Dance, Competitions, name game and various other activities devised by psychosynthesis and human behavior experts. -- Second year students must be sensitized about the evils of ragging and the various myths about it. -- Introduce the concept of sub-group mentorship, with few chosen seniors responsible for the well being of different groups of fresher. -- Create a massive nationwide awareness about ragging.

Soft approach -- In an event of severe ragging, victim must be given an option to change the college. -- Funding for intensive research on ragging. -- Efforts to be made to make ragging a social evil, by highlighting its ill-effects and thus establish a public opinion against it.

CONCLUSION --- Ragging is a problem of the students and by the students; and therefore, the solution to it also lies with the students. --- On the whole, the best way to stop ragging is realization by the senior himself. He should understand that by doing ragging, it is his weakness which instigates him not his strength, he is not respected but feared, he embosses bad memories than sweet moments…

CONCLUSION It is concluded and hoping that in a few years of time with our earnest effort, we all together can eradicate the social scar called ragging. We are sure a new enlighten India is waiting for us at the end of this dark tunnel.

REFERENCES INTERNET