Monday, March 16, 2009

Letters-65: "On Ragging"

1. The death of Aman Kachroo, a first year student of the Dr.Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra, allegedly at the hands of his seniors, has shaken the faith of those who are for the effective implementation of anti-ragging measures in educational institutions, especially professional colleges. The time has come to discard the term "ragging" an d substitute it with the word "torture". "Ragging" does not seem to convey the ominous consequences to which it can lead. It is still considered by many as some form of camaraderie, necessary for juniors to get to know their seniors. The law should leave no scope for doubt in the mind of the torturers about the nature of their actions. - Subhash Chander Gupta, Rohtak.

2. Aman's death makes one wonder what led his fellow students to behave in the manner they did. Who is to blame for the barbaric mentality in youngsters? Their acts of violence reflect the slackening of moral values among the younger generation. The resignation of the principal or the suspension of a few will not help to end ragging in colleges. The attitude and outlook of the youth should change. And for this to happen, they should be educated on human values. - Sruthi Appu, Bangalore.

3. The arrest and expulsion of the four students who allegedly beat Aman to death are welcome. But the legal procedure may take some time and the torture undergone by Aman will soon be forgotten. The trial should be swift and the guilty brought to book soon. The Kangra incident should serve as an eye-opener to all collgees. Instead of waiting for students or parents to complain of incidents of ragging, the college authorities should be proactive in preventing ragging on campus. Even the so-called light ragging - lime making students sing or dance - should be dealt with firmly as it eventually leads to serious ragging. - Jayanthi Viswanathan, Palakkad.

4. It is shocking to learn that ragging continues unabated despite a ban on it and the Supreme Court's direction to educational institutions to curb it. It is not the seniors alone who are to blame for what happened to Aman. The college authorities are equally to blame. Colleges in which such instances take place should be derecognised. The fear of de-recognition may be more effective in curbing the menace of ragging. - Amit Kumar, Patna.

5. Aman's death is not an isolated incident. Serious cases of ragging are suppressed by college authorities. Deaths are dubbed as suicide. In spite of the Supreme Court's orders, the mental and physical torture of freshers continues in almost all professional colleges across the country. All rational people should raise their voice against the despicable practice. A toll-free helpline should be created for the victims of ragging. - U.Kaur, New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, March 14, 2009 ("Letters to the Editor").

Grateful thanks to M/s.Subhash Chander Gupta, Sruthi Appu, Jayanthi Viswanathan, Amit Kumar, U.Kaur and The Hindu.

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