Thursday, September 12, 2013

Ragging in city stokes debate on institutes' role

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-09/ranchi/40468165_1_seniors-juniors-ranchi-women

 RANCHI: A recent case of ragging at Lala Lajpat Rai Public School has taken everyone by surprise. Four students were beaten up by their seniors on July 5. The victims had to be treated at a local hospital. Though the culprits have been expelled, it has once again raised questions on how serious institutes are about implementing anti-ragging measures.

 While most of the schools and colleges claim that ragging forbidden on campus, there are always a few cases every year, at times even violent. A similar case was observed last year at National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT) when a group of seniors broke into the hostel room of the newcomers, ragged them, broke the windows and belongings.

 Cases of inhuman ragging have definitely decreased over the past few years and now boiled down to interactive sessions between the seniors and the juniors. However, some students do enjoy troubling the newcomers. Psychiatrists say those who are suppressed in their family turn out to be bullies in schools and colleges.

 Director of Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), Dr Amool Ranjan said, "Most of the students who rag their juniors are suppressed or ill treated at home. They take out their frustration by ragging and bullying their juniors."

 Principals of various colleges and schools claim that ragging is banned. "We have a very strict law when it comes to ragging. A single complaint is enough to get the student expelled from college. We also have an anti-ragging squad which keeps an eye on the students when the new session starts," said principal of Ranchi Women's College, Manju Sinha.

Students on the other hand think that healthy ragging is okay. Akansha Kapoor, a student of St. Xavier's College in Ranchi said, "The first day I confronted my seniors I was really scared but all they asked me to do was sing a song and crack some jokes. At first I was nervous but thereafter, I became good friends with my seniors. I think ragging is a way to get to know your seniors better."

No comments: