Ragging scar

THE Supreme Court had laid down stringent guidelines while banning ragging in educational institutions, with zero tolerance to the initiation ritual as the norm. Yet, ragging of freshers — that often entails humiliation, abuse and coercion, resulting in profound physical and psychological scars — continues to cast a long shadow. The death of a first-year student of a Gujarat-based medical college after he was allegedly made to stand for three hours underscores the severity of the issue. Fifteen seniors have been suspended and booked. When even the prospect of harsh punishment is not an effective deterrent, it calls for a rethink on actionable strategies to combat ragging. Fostering a safe learning environment is a fundamental requirement for an institution. While it holds the primary responsibility, any incident of ragging is also a societal failure. It’s a telling reminder of the missing links of basic decency and civility at so many levels — at home, in college and in society at large.

There is no denying that entrenched social hierarchies and cultural biases play a role in both the scale and intensity of ragging. What is lacking in the anti-ragging strategy is understanding the psychological triggers on an individual basis. Why do a handful of students behave the way they do, and why do their problematic traits go unchecked over the years? Like in the case of sexual harassment, the slightest whisper of ragging, or of violent bullying, needs to be taken seriously and acted upon. Mental health remains the most neglected area, too, with very few institutions using the services of qualified counsellors.

Anti-ragging cells, safety committees, orientation programmes, security surveillance and legal action are part of the mandated multifaceted approach to combat ragging. What’s imperative is a collective outrage — a firm ‘no’ to any form of ragging.