RAGGING

ETHICS ASSIGNMENT
PERSONAL ISSUE Devika Kishnan 10BMD0014

INTRODUCTION:
Ragging in India is a damaging form of interaction of the seniors in college or school with the juniors or the newcomers or the first years. It involves insults (simple or suggestive sexual, sarcastic and even physical), running errands for seniors, and many other complex activities. Highly reputed Indian colleges have a wistful history of ragging especially Medical colleges. It has become increasingly unpopular due to several complaints of serious injury to the victims and strict laws regarding ragging. Ragging is now defined as an act that violates or is perceived to violate an individual student's dignity. This is the classical definition attributed to the concept of ragging. It would be impertinent for me to say that this definition is completely incorrect. There have been so many incidents in the recent past involving violence and emotional torture in the name of ragging. As it is with any practice, the effects of ragging can be adverse when it is misused for personal vengeance or satisfaction. On the other hand, the practice of ragging would be an ethical one if practiced well within the limits of moral responsibility and respect, without hampering the emotional and physical stability of the receiver. I would be looking at both aspects of this college tradition through the course of this assignment.

HISTORY:
Substantial ink has been spent in discussing the incidents and ill-effects of ragging but we have hardly ever tried to go deeper to the roots of this savage phenomenon which is rapidly eroding our education system. Ragging, Hazing, Fagging, Bullying, Pledging, Horse-playing etc. are different terms used in different parts of the world but each signifying the same old practice of welcoming the fresher in a barbaric manner. This phenomenon can be traced back to as early as 7th or 8th century A.D. In Greek culture, new entrants to the sport community were subjected to all kinds of humiliations and teasing to inculcate a team spirit in them. Gradually with the passage of time this technique was subjected to myriad modifications and was later adopted by the military forces, from there it finally entered in the education system. Since its inception in the educational arena, ragging underwent several modifications before morphing into an organized form of campus violence. Chronology of events:
During the 18th century forming a student organization in colleges was

very much in vogue particularly in the European countries. This concept was later adopted by the U.S. universities as well. In the period 18281845, several student organizations popped up in the U.S. campuses . The first ragging related death occurred in 1873 when a freshman from Cornell University fell into a gorge as a consequence of ragging. Ragging underwent a massive transformation after World-War 1. It was during this time that it started to acquire its real brutal form. Soldiers returning from war re-entered the college and brought with them the technique of Hazing (ragging) learned in military camp. These techniques were used to make individual fail as an individual and succeed as a team. This philosophy of team development continued to be used in different fraternities. Eventually when fewer military students entered college these techniques were passed onto others who did not understand their purpose or usage and ragging became a brutal and hazardous exercise. Gradually in the early 20th century ragging related violence started to escalate in the western countries. In India the tradition of ragging was imported along with the English education. Though it existed in the Army and English public schools much before the country's independence, it became conspicuous only after independence. Ragging then meant seniors mocking and jesting at juniors.

WHERE INDIA STANDS! Until the late 60's, ragging was never a serious problem in India as it was relatively in a much milder form, primarily because higher education was confined to some particular sect of the society. Gradually as the higher education became more and more accessible to different communities, ragging became a soft weapon to settle the animosity between students of different castes, communities and religion etc. Deep influence of the media during the 80's made ragging much more brutal and violent in India. Soon ragging became a measuring rod to test the grit of the seniors. Many seniors, who were reluctant to rag their juniors, finally succumbed to peer pressure. It is still an important factor in Indian ragging. During the early 90's, rapid mushrooming of new private Engineering and Medical colleges led to several disastrous experiments with this old practice of ragging. It made Southern India a hub of this brutal activity. During the 90's ragging related suicides began to increase at a rapid rate. In 1997 Tamil Nadu, which was one of the worst affected state, became the first province in India to bring legislation against ragging. In 2001, the Honourable Supreme Court of India banned ragging throughout the country. It was now left to the college authorities to enforce this law. This led to complete disappearance of daytime ragging in campus which was much healthier and a safer mode of interaction while more threatening and virulent ragging in the hostels continues to thrive in most of the colleges. According to a Times of India report, the academic year 2009-10 had registered highest number of ragging deaths in recent times in the country. Maharashtra was one of the two states that had registered highest number of deaths owing to ragging. Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE),which Delhi is an anti-ragging non-profit organization, has come out with its statistics, highlighting the fact that ragging percentage is highest in Engineering and Medical Colleges. According to CURE's analysis of ragging in India, 19 cases of deaths and 4 cases of attempted suicides were reported due to ragging in the same year. This particular year also witnessed a marked increase in the number of ragging incidents involving girls, including 4 cases of deaths and 2 cases of attempted suicides by girl students.

PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND RAGGING: Myths:

These could be called as the pillar stones that support the concept of ragging. 1. Ragging is necessary: Many believe that ragging helps in breaking the ice between the seniors and freshers. It helps in making new friendships. Some say it helps in emotional bonding between the students 2. Road to boldness: Many believe that ragging helps in personality development of the students. Helps them getting rid of their shyness. Prepares them for the real world. It is true that sometimes ragging does lead to friendships that last lifelong. On a general level, it might be seen to make a person bold. But if we take that alone as the criteria for labelling ragging as ethical, it would be highly detrimental as this would mean that the practice is justified. Further, this might even give the perpetrators an excuse to flaunt their power.

The Vicious Circle:

Victims tend to behave according to various behavioural patterns ranging from depression and suicidal tendencies to becoming the next perpetrators. How it starts: 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 There it goes again......: Students believe that they were ragged so they have the right to rag their juniors. Students believe that it is the only way by which seniors and fresher can interact. Students are inculcated with the logic that seniors who rag them will help them later. Students feel that they are familiar with their seniors only because they were ragged and thus it ensures the legacy of ragging. 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.

THE HOWS AND WHATS (CONSEQUENCES):

How Ragging Affects the Victim: 1. An unpleasant incident of ragging may leave a permanent scar in the victims 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. How Ragging Affects the Victims Family: 1. One can imagine the plight of a ragging victims family, especially his or her parents who see their child suffering in pain and stress. 2. 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 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 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.

CASE STUDY (1):

This is a recent report just out on 3rd October 2012 on how the legislation can be misused. It all began with a drunken brawl at a college in Vidyarananyapura on Thursday. A student got injured and filed a police complaint on the same day. His rival filed a counter complaint at a different police station on Friday, accusing him of ragging. It took some time for the police to sift through the confusion. Rahul Kumar Singh, 19, studying first year BBM lodged a complaint at Vidyarananyapura police station that his seniors had ragged him. He said they were forcing him to strip and when he objected, he was stabbed with a screw driver and beaten. Vidyaranyapura police inspector BP Prasad said they initially believed him and registered a case of assault, ragging and also criminal intimidation against another student, identified as Praveen Kumar. Singh had also created an alibi, identified as Sanjay, who had stated that he too was forced by the accused to do the same. A team of officials swung into action and nabbed the accused for questioning. The whole incident turned out to be a farce when the accused informed them that he was in fact the victim and had already filed a case with New Yelahanka Town police. After contacting their counterparts at Yelahanka, they realised that Rahul has filed a false complaint and have decided to take legal action in this regard.

This is an example of how the laws that were implemented to protect the victims of ragging end up being misused by the perpetrators itself. Due to the efficiency of the investigator in this case, the felon was convicted. Unfortunately, this is not always the case with most offenders. The innocent may be convicted while the lawbreakers roam around freely performing more scandalous acts against the society.

CASE STUDY (2):

This is another report on how ragging resulted in violence putting the victim and his family through an emotional turmoil. A month after six students of a Bandra college were suspended for ragging their juniors, a first-year student of Mahim's St Xavier's Institute of Engineering has registered a complaint against two second-year diploma students of the college for allegedly bashing him up. The Mahim police, on Monday, registered a non-cognizable complaint against the two accused. "My son was beaten up twice in seven days by the two seniors. After the second incident, my son stopped going to college," said Maria Perreira, mother of the first-year student. According to complaint, the victim was beaten up by the two outside the college canteen on September 21. "What is the guarantee that my son will not be beaten up again? I had to ask for help from the police," she added. "We recorded the complainant's statement and according to him, the fight started after a carom game. We have registered a non-cognizable complaint as of now," said an official at Mahim police station. Perreira, along with some Yuva Sena members, also visited the college authorities to demand justice for her son. "My son had also been receiving threatening calls from the two and ever since, he hasn't stepped out of the house," the mother said. College principal Shivaji Ghungrad took note of the complaint and has asked the three students and their parents to come for a meeting on Tuesday. "I have spoken to the second-year students as well as the complainant. We will meet them on Tuesday and discuss the matter. It's not serious and we will solve it on Tuesday," said Ghungrad. He also added that if need be, they will start counselling for both parties. "We will also thoroughly check the backgrounds of these students before taking any decision," added Ghungrad.

In this particular case, we can see that the parents have initiated a complaint and the victim too has been open about the assault. This is sometimes not the case when the victim stays mum and the mental instability that results often leads to suicides. Thus many a times, a life is lost and the reason not known. The positive aspect of this case is that an initiative has been taken by the institution to sort out the case such that both the perpetrators and the victims education and life are not adversely affected.

POINTS TO REMEMBER!!

 Promote alternative methods of interactions eg; Drama, community work, adventurous sports, short trips, evening games and An anti-raging squad should be allotted to college canteen and busses to avoid ragging in these areas because these are the places where ragging takes place more The anti-ragging methods should be explained in a mannerism that is acceptable and understandable to the seniors. Weekly an interaction hour should be conducted between seniors and juniors of their respected branches i.e., organizing quiz, group discussion etc. by senior students in the presence of faculty. A freshers party should be organised so that the juniors and seniors can interact and connect. It is not fair if the seniors and juniors are not allowed to mingle at all. This is because a healthy senior-junior relationship is essential for any college student. It helps them build a better prospective about college and the seniors are a huge help when it comes to studies as well.

CONCLUSION:

I would like to conclude with the point that ragging is an offensive practice but when replaced with friendly interaction between seniors and juniors, would help build better relationships between that could last lifelong. It is imperative that we as a society take effective measures to relegate our society and educational institutions from the grips of this abusive practice that has been derived from the western culture. All of us are responsible for every life that is taken because we might have seen ragging in process and not tried to object to it. We should make it a point to educate the juniors and the seniors regarding the ragging laws that could put them behind bars for life. Care should be taken so that the laws are not misused for personal vengeance or rivalry. Friendly interaction between the juniors and seniors should be allowed with freshers parties, under guidance of a faculty if needed. Let us all take a pledge that no more lives would be taken as a result of our ignorance or inappropriate action.

D IS AB ILITY

D EVIKA KIS HN AN -10B MD 0014

D E F INITION
A d is a bility m a y be ph ysica l, cogn it ive, m en t a l, sen sor y, em ot ion a l, developm en t a l or som e com bin a t ion of t h ese. A disa bilit y m a y be pr esen t fr om bir t h , or occu r du r in g a per son 's lifet im e.

D E SCRIP TION
n ot on ly are person al experien ces of d isability in d ivid u al an d u n iqu e, bu t perception of an d attitu d es tow ard s d isability are h igh ly relative, sin ce th ey are su bject to cu ltu ral in terpretation s th at d epen d on valu es, con texts, socio-h istorical tim e an d place, as w ell as th e perspective an d social statu s of th e observer. Disability an d its social con stru ction vary from society to society an d from tim e to tim e. (Ust u n , Ch a t t er ji,

Bicken ba ch , Tr ot t er II, a n d Sa xen a , 2001: p. 9)

S UP E RSTITIONS
A r esu lt of sin s fr om pa st or pr esen t life Bla m e pu t on t h e m ot h er or wom en in t h e fa m ily P h ysica lly h a n dica pped = m en t a lly h a n dica pped Sigh t of disa bled per son t er m ed a s a ba d om en

G E NE RAL ATTITUDE S

Sym pa t h et ic

As Disgr a ce t o Societ y

GE NE RAL ATTITUDE S

Men t a lly h a n dica pped

Ca n n ot be em ployed

W H AT YOU CAN DO !

Awa r en ess
In fr a st r u ct u r e developm en t Respect a n d Accept a n ce E m ploym en t E qu a l Righ t s

Awa r en ess

In fr a st r u ct u r e

Respect

E m ploym en t

E QUAL RIGH TS

TH ANK YOU