New Delhi, July 15
The excitement was palpable. On the eve of the new academic session, freshers, or futchas, as the lingo goes, got a whiff of the campus air – not necessarily fresh and welcoming.
There were many freshers who preferred to strut in with their protective parents in tow, lest they attract the wrath of seniors and become easy victims of ragging. Despite the Supreme Court ban and warnings issued by colleges, several students who checked in at the hostels today had a taste of ragging.
The campus was abuzz with activity, with different colleges putting in place their own ‘ragging-deterrent’ mechanisms. For instance, the Hindu College campus had posters with stern pleas by the authorities: “This is Hindu. We do not rag”. Notices were put up in conveniently visible places, warning sophomores and seniors of strong punitive measures in case the authorities received a complaint of indulging in ragging.
Hansraj College, on the other hand, opted for the method of inculcation. The Principal of the college, in his customary address to the newcomers today, dwelt upon the necessity to feel at home in the new environment and to lodge a complaint if any form of ragging was undertaken by seniors.
Article XV – C of the University of Delhi Act clearly stipulates that any form of ragging is an unlawful act and was punishable under the rules. The Supreme Court has also passed an order banning ragging in academic institutions.
While these methods apparently had the desired effect on day-scholars, resident students, most of whom have checked into their allotted rooms today, got the first taste of getting ‘introduced’ – some of which reportedly bordered on unfair means.
Freshmen in the college hostels are reluctant to speak up, fearing backlash from their seniors. Privately, however, they admit that they are in for a rigorous ragging schedule.
“I have come all the way from Assam, and I haven’t even unpacked my stuff because my seniors think that first I have to give them a body massage and then polish their shoes. Only then, I will be eligible to touch my bag. And some of them even forced me to smoke. I wasn’t expecting a grand welcome or anything like that, but this is just not fair,” said Kinsom Bam, a newly admitted student of Hindu College.
Many other perturbed hostellers echoed similar views, but most of them seem to be helpless as they think showing resentment would only lead to further trouble.
“My seniors have warned me not to tell anyone about the ragging in the hostel premises, but the harassment, which I am going through, is very hard to tell,” said Raju (name changed), a new student in one of the elite colleges in the North Campus. This is an indication of the fact that the stern warning of college authorities has not had much of an effect in the hostels
“I don’t understand what college authorities are doing. They are aware of the ragging scene in their college but seem to have turned a blind eye,” said Arun Anand, a student of Hansraj College.
