CHENNAI: As they step out of their school shoes and step into college,
ragging is probably is the biggest fear freshers face after they've made
their choice of course. While seniors reminisce about the 'goodness' of
ragging, its darker side has reared its head once in a while.
For many from the older generation of students though, ragging is a rite of passage and an ice-breaker. "Our seniors made us take baskets from flower vendors and sell their wares on the train from Tambaram to Nungambakkam," said Susan Elias, professor at a city college who finished college in 1991. "We always gave the money to the vendors and everyone had a good time. It helped break the ice," she said.
Five years after Susan left college, Tamil Nadu saw a cold-blooded murder that was the fallout of "ragging". John David, a second year MBBS student from Raja Muthaiah Medical College, assaulted Pon Navarasu in November 1996. After Navarasu lost consciousness, David decapitated him, severed his limbs and disposed of the body parts in different parts of the state. The high court acquitted David and he began working in a BPO from 2001. Ten years later, after the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence, he surrendered at Cuddalore central prison.
This incident shook the Tamil Nadu government, which passed the Prohibition of Ragging Act. After recommendations from the Raghavan Committee in May 2007, the Supreme Court made it mandatory that all education institutions file an FIR for all incidents of ragging. In 2009, University Grants Commission introduced a slew of measures, including forming anti-ragging committees and setting up helpline numbers.
Professors say the situation is not too bad, at least in Chennai. "We have separate hostels for freshers while a faculty member travels in the bus during the first semester to ensure nothing gets out of hand. We have an anti-ragging committee consists of parents, students, faculty and an NGO. The student council ensures that new students know the anti-ragging cell's phone number," said N Parthiban, principal of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering. "We also have a tradition where seniors give roses to new comers," he added.
Despite these measures, ragging continues. A toll-free number that allowed students to register complaints anonymously received 1.65lakh calls last year. Only 190 complaints were registered.
"There are some 15 councils to deal with ragging. Each works at its own pace and there is not much coordination. The process has to be centralised and the government has to ensure that complaints are registered and duly followed up," said Raj Kachroo, the father of a student who died after he was ragged in Himachal Pradesh. Kachroo is a consultant for the central government anti-ragging cell.
For many from the older generation of students though, ragging is a rite of passage and an ice-breaker. "Our seniors made us take baskets from flower vendors and sell their wares on the train from Tambaram to Nungambakkam," said Susan Elias, professor at a city college who finished college in 1991. "We always gave the money to the vendors and everyone had a good time. It helped break the ice," she said.
Five years after Susan left college, Tamil Nadu saw a cold-blooded murder that was the fallout of "ragging". John David, a second year MBBS student from Raja Muthaiah Medical College, assaulted Pon Navarasu in November 1996. After Navarasu lost consciousness, David decapitated him, severed his limbs and disposed of the body parts in different parts of the state. The high court acquitted David and he began working in a BPO from 2001. Ten years later, after the Supreme Court upheld a death sentence, he surrendered at Cuddalore central prison.
This incident shook the Tamil Nadu government, which passed the Prohibition of Ragging Act. After recommendations from the Raghavan Committee in May 2007, the Supreme Court made it mandatory that all education institutions file an FIR for all incidents of ragging. In 2009, University Grants Commission introduced a slew of measures, including forming anti-ragging committees and setting up helpline numbers.
Professors say the situation is not too bad, at least in Chennai. "We have separate hostels for freshers while a faculty member travels in the bus during the first semester to ensure nothing gets out of hand. We have an anti-ragging committee consists of parents, students, faculty and an NGO. The student council ensures that new students know the anti-ragging cell's phone number," said N Parthiban, principal of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering. "We also have a tradition where seniors give roses to new comers," he added.
Despite these measures, ragging continues. A toll-free number that allowed students to register complaints anonymously received 1.65lakh calls last year. Only 190 complaints were registered.
"There are some 15 councils to deal with ragging. Each works at its own pace and there is not much coordination. The process has to be centralised and the government has to ensure that complaints are registered and duly followed up," said Raj Kachroo, the father of a student who died after he was ragged in Himachal Pradesh. Kachroo is a consultant for the central government anti-ragging cell.
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