[NDTV] Army cadet puts in papers after ragging

Link to report

Nilesh Thakkar

Wednesday, November 8, 2006 (Vadodara):

In yet another case of ragging at the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, cadet Digvijay Singh Kharb has put in his papers alleging misconduct on the part of his senior colleagues.

The move comes days after another cadet committed suicide, allegedly due to stress and harassment.

For as long as he can remember, Digvijay Singh wanted to join the Army and serve the nation in the footsteps of his father Colonel Fateh Singh.

Now he's back home after being ragged by his course seniors.

The OTA at Chennai, where Digvijay was undergoing training, has the reputation of being one of the toughest courses in the Armed Forces.

"Senior cadets asked us to sit on the armrest of the chair. Two people were to share one armrest and not only that, you also had to move. The cadet sitting next to me lost his balance. I fainted and fell," said Digvijay Singh, Cadet, Officers Training Academy.

Handling stress

This is the second time the OTA has been in the news in the past week. A few days back Asad Nair, a gentleman cadet at the Academy, committed suicide.

He had only recently joined the course at the OTA and shortly after told his father that he wanted to leave the Academy. His coursemate Digvijay feels Asad couldn't handle the stress and pressure.

"He (Asad) was thrown in the pool even after he said he didn't know how to swim. He was taken out at the last moment. A week later he committed suicide," said Digvijay Singh.

Digvijay's father Colonel Fateh Singh now feels his son is better off pursuing another career.

"He called and said Papa I can't lead this life. I said come back, no problem. It's not his foolishness but because of other people's mismanagement, " said Colonel Fateh Singh, Digvijay’s father.

In Digvijay's case at least, the Army Headquarters says he couldn't handle the pressure and therefore put in his papers.

As far as they're concerned, he's a civilian now. It's still more than what the Army did in the Asad suicide case.