Students' harassment is not ragging in Allahabad University?

Rajiv Mani, TNN Sep 1, 2011, 10.29pm IST

ALLAHABAD: Despite authorities of the Allahabad University making tall claims about checking the ragging menace, inmates of the S Radhakrishanan hostel of AU have been reportedly harassed by the senior inmates of G N Jha hostel in the midnight of Tuesday .

Although the varsity authorities claim it to be an 'act of indiscipline' among the inmates of two hostels, it is not the first time that the inmates of this hostel have fallen prey to the harassment by the seniors of other hostels located in its vicinity.

Narrating their woes to TOI the inmates of Radhakrishanan hostel, a hostel which has recently been constructed and is meant specifically for the students pursuing professional courses at AU with most of them being the students of JK Institute, said that it was the midnight of Tuesday (around 3.00 am) when some youths entered room number 31 of the first floor of the hostel allotted to a student of J K Institute. The youths, who claimed themselves to be the inmates of G N Jha hostel, forced the said inmate to open the room and after entering it, they locked it from inside. The two were in an intoxicated state and after abusing the said inmate, searched the entire room for eatables. They also slapped the inmate and snatched his laptop. The intruders asked the harassed inmate to come to room number 111 and 113 of G N Jha hostel to get back the laptop.

Meanwhile, on getting the news of some outsiders entering the hostel, the guard of the hostel locked the main channel. When these youths found the channel locked, they returned the laptop and forced the inmate of room number 2 to open the door and since the balcony of the said room opened on the road outside the hostel, they managed to escape from there.

Wednesday being a holiday on the occasion of Eid, inmates of S Radhakrishanan hostel apprised the varsity officials on Thursday. "This is not the first time that we have been harassed by the seniors of other hostels who openly threaten us of dire consequences as we are new at AU," said the agitated inmates who reported the matter to the chief proctor Prof Jata Shankar and the dean students welfare (DSW), Prof R K Singh.

"Last year too, on the occasion of Janmashtami, senior inmates of PCB hostel, located a stone throw distance from S Radhakrishanan hostel came late in the night and asked the inmates to gather in five minutes. When some of us arrived few minutes late, they were abused and asked to perform the act of cock," the inmates alleged. Although the authorities were apprised of the said misbehave by the seniors none took action, they added.

Meanwhile, another case of fight, which occurred on Wednesday night, was reported among the inmates of S Radhakrishanan hostel. The fight took place between the inmates, studying in various semester of J K Institute and that of Law five year course.

Commenting on the issue the chief proctor, Jata Shankar, said, "The inmates of the hostel had informed me of the fight amongst the Radhakrishanan hostel and I would be looking into the matter. However, they wanted me to give another complaint, but I asked them to get it forwarded by the superintendent. But the matter, pertaining to inmates of G N Jha hostel does not come under the ambit of ragging because the inmate who was harassed was not a fresher."

As per the observations of the committee of UGC towards measures to curb the menace of ragging in educational institutions mentions, any act that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of a student should be considered within the academics related aspect of ragging. Likewise, any act of financial extortion, physical abuse including all variants of it, any act or abuse by spoken words, public insults should be considered within the psychological aspects of ragging. Similarly, any act that affects the mental health and self-confidence of students also can be described in terms of the psychological aspect of ragging.