Read up

Urge everybody to read this

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main20.asp?filename=hub101406personalhistories.asp

I thought perhaps I would share an article with everybody. But before that, a moment to hear what H. Purandeswari said. 9 deaths and 3 serious injuries was the toll that ragging took this year. Though I care not about statistics, she must have been kidding, right?

The Hindu carried an article some time ago with specific emphasis on the Keralian society. They said the youth subculture of encouraging the image of a "rebel" contributed in part to the vice. I think it also has got to do something with the phallic tendency of projecting "Machoism", the "Tough guy", "I am a real man" image. Insecure alpha-males?

"Lack of closeness and warmth in families pushes youth to anarchy and rebellion, alcoholism and drug abuse."    

That seems somewhat of a weak excuse. My parents are divorced so I rag somebody? 

For people with more interest, read 

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007110253980400.htm&date=2007/11/02/&prd=th&

Half of the new academic year has already passed us by and by the flood of mails we have received, the year has been as worse as any when it comes to violence and ragging. So tell us what you think. Did you fac any ragging at all this year? Did you think it was "fun"? Or were you repulsed by it?
Tell us.

A Shubho Bijoya to everybody. And a happy Dusshera. And have a great Diwali.

Pray for a ragging free year.

Wake Me Up When September Ends...Or Don't.

Its the first of October. Time to take a look at the horror that last month was.

Its been a common perception that we focus too much on Kolkata. So this time we will explore the barbarism throughout the length and breadth of this nation.

A scuffle broke out between South and North Indian students at Vivekananda Institute of Technology, ironically named, which left 8 injured. Apparently 3rd semester students were ragging the first semester students badly,especially the ones who hailed from Bihar. They were allegedly locked up in a room and "treated like animals". They decided subsequently to take matters into their own hands and a brawl ensued.
The authorities made no F.I.R.s. Oh and they said it was a minor fight over meals.

University of Aligarh has decided to impose fines on ragging offenders. We hope it works.

On a more sombre note, we remember Chetan, who used to be a student of Mysore Medical College who was traumatized by ragging. He committed suicide. As Achebe said, things have fallen apart; people vowed to change things. Nothing has.

Chennai colleges have moved on from physical to semi-physical and psychological ragging...
And so Uday Anand, a final student at the University of Goa, lives in constant fear of assault because he asked the juniors to stand up against ragging and not be afraid of him. He lives under an atmosphere of constant persecution and heavy handed intimidation. His room is broken into by batch mates and what do the authorities do? The Registrar proudly declares that an undertaking has been taken from the offenders that their behaviour won't be repeated.
And so all we need to do is ask Dawood to say that he will leave crime. Mission accomplished.

Its been a wretched month. And the future looks glum. For us. For you. For the first years. For Uday. And for the millions of you who feel the same way but will never speak up. Thanks to all the people who read this and go on to another page, the saga of violence will go on.

Jadavpur gets back

We have been a little late in reporting this but credit must be given where its due.

Remember the incident at Jadavpur University where a student of Architecture was ragged ad allegedly drugged? Well, in an unprecedented move, the university has suspended 24 students involved in the incident and lodged F.I.R.s against 6 of its former students who were also involved.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 4 students who were directly involved have been suspended for 2 years....quite a decisive step, don't you think?

This is the first time Jadavpur University has invoked such strict suspension and penalties against ragging-offenders. On can only hope it is the dawn of a new era.

We are awake again

Profuse apologies for the seeming irregularity in posts...we all have been so warped up in our lives that,though the work has continued,it hasn't been tabulated as regularly as it should've been.

The September newsletter is coming up....Tell us your suggestions....

A tale of two universities

Delhi continues to strive towards a brighter future unmarred by the menace of ragging....in a matter of few weeks , the whole campus of the celebrated University of Delhi will be under electronic surveillance. The University authorities in collaboration with the Delhi Police are putting up 47 CCTV s across the campus in order to avoid any untoward incidents. The authorities have also expressed their desire of setting up a 24-hour helpline for students to call in in the event of ragging or eve-teasing. Way to go Delhi! Three cheers!

But again, to remind us that there is along way to go before we sleep, is the University of Punjab. A complaint was lodged against some second year students a couple of weeks ago. They were accused of forcing freshers to strip and walk naked around the campus.
Quite serious an offence, I say! Well,according to the University authorities, not quite. The students have been suspended for a week.
The Dean of Social Welfare commented that the University had set up a committee to "look" into the matter; though has it that the authorities have decided to hush the matter up and term it as an "interactive session"! So apparently, Raghavan committee can go to the dogs!

Depressing? Exasperating?Vexing?

Death at my doorstep

Apparently water isn't safe anymore.Not when you are in college.

Gurkirat Singh, freshman at The Government Sports College, Chandigarh,didn't know that. He is dead.

Accusations have been flying thick and fast for the past few days. The son of farmer,Gurkirat was a promising basketball player who was found entangled to the college pool's ladder by a student who jumped in at the insistence of a teacher who apparently got worried since Gurkirat had been missing for hours.

The college Principal has till now been nonchalant, insisting that Gurkirat along with a bunch of other students had forced entry into the pool by manhandling the watchman and then had subsequently died because he didn't know how to swim.

The truth appears, however, to be much more sinister.

A certain man by the name of Harkanwal Singh, who also happens to be the boy's father, alleged in the "Times Of India" that his son had been a victim of ragging. Far from an accident,this was a case of homicide.
He says that his son had called him up a few days ago and stated how the "seniors" were pestering him incessantly. They were harassing him and threatening him and he had begun to lose morale. The father says there are bruises and marks of a scuffle in the boy's hands and feet, clearly showing that he was stopped by force from coming out of the water.
He also says that Gurkirat knew how to swim.


The college authorities remain dutifully firm over their side of the story. They say that the pool was off-limits for students in general and Gurkirat forced his way in. They however,cannot specify any motive for Gurkirat to have done so.
Indeed it is difficult to imagine why a freshman would do so! The college authorities also are trying hard to shove the ragging issue under the carpet. The police have registered a case but personally speaking, their progress seems rather suspect.
They have so far "quizzed" the students about ragging and as expected, all of them have said that there was no ragging going on. They apparently said that the "incidents were not serious and couldn't be called ragging."


Ragging or no ragging, Gurkirat Singh is dead. And it serves me no joy in typing that he might be the first ragging death this year. However,the greater fear is that he is the first of many.

Rapscallion

This isn't original...this is a jewel I stumbled upon on "The Transparent Mirror" http://www.transparentmirror.inamorata.nu/, the site of a gifted friend of mine.
Read it and see if you smile or shake your head.

First year of college, a scared fresher staggers close to the door of his class.

“May I come in, Sir?” His breath is fast and the teacher inspects him suspiciously. “You know you’re late!” he barked.

“Yes Sir. Sorry Sir. Some seniors detained me near the cycle stand . . . I was

“Never mind, take your seat and next time be on time and avoid seniors, have you understood?”

With eyes lowered, he simply nods and takes his seat.

---

Second year at college, some roles change and people’s perspective undergoes the same.

The same student is late again. He waits majestically outside the class until his teacher makes the mistake of noticing him. He inspects him disdainfully,

“So why are you late, Sir?” The teacher asks without caring to hide his sarcasm.

“I was nearly on time for your class but ..

“What?”

“I found some first year students loitering near the cycle stand.”

So did you smile or did you shake your head?

Jadavpur does it again!

I start today with a personal recollection....I remember,on my first day at St.Xavier's,whilst I expressed indignation at the attempts at ragging by our seniors,i was rebutted in unison unequivocally by my peers.I was told to chill because there was nothing serious going on,nothing in comparison with the great Jadavpur University.
Over the length of the next week,I was educated by my friends and seniors alike that whatever was going on in my college,however disgusting,humiliating and reprehensible,was nothing compared to Jadavpur University and its battalion of merry men.Some even expressed disgust at the feeble attempts at ragging in our college...Xaverians are novices,it was said;the real expertise lay elsewhere.

Last week,Jadavpur University added another "feather" to its "ragging cap" and in doing so,firmly ensured itself of the position of fear mixed reverence that most people my age treat that institution.A young girl,enrolled in the Architecture department,was being "educated in the way of the university" ,also called "ragging" by some fools,by her seniors.The seniors,innocent and pure,assaulted her physically,pulled her hair and forced her to chew cigarettes and smoke a few cigarettes herself.(The Statesman,The Star News Service)...Some rumours have also blasphemously suggested that the cigarettes contained some form of drug.

Of course,immediate action was taken and the authorities "scolded" the seniors!I wonder why The Supreme Court didn't think of scolding as the ultimate punishment for ragging.
As news began to spread and crowds gathered outside those hallowed gates,the college authorities responded in a manner in which most Indian problems are tackled...They formed a probe.Of course,the media was fended off for the moment and in any case,when the probe turns in its report,if ever,the media won't be around to examine it.
The name of the girl was withheld as was the names of the felons because,apparently the college was worried about the reputation of the "poor" girl!I wonder,if they had shown the same concern earlier,the whole incident might have been avoided.

What have the great University management done to combat ragging?According to The Times Of India and Expressindia.com,they have done a lot!They have put up the supreme court notices on billboards,they have formed committees and they have scolded people in general!
And their ideas to stop ragging?Even better!Ensure freshers don't get free periods and stop them from remaining on the campus after classes.Wow!So all we have to do is to turn colleges into military camps!

This isn't a slur against a particular institution.i have nothing against Jadavpur.I am just plain amazed that the students of such a prestigious institution indulge in such heinous acts without even a twinge of conscience.Knowing my peers,they must have just gloated about the whole incident....the more perplexing thing is the attitude of the authorities;they seem hardly serious about the whole incident.Their primary concern seems to brush the whole thing under the carpet.

But that isn't the saddest thing...the saddest thing is the way in which people will remember this incident...A few months down the line,the same story will probably be repeated to juniors in all colleges across Calcutta with more amusement than empathy.A few months down the line,the girl's fate will probably be exemplified as what happens to people who don't listen to seniors.A few months down the line,the story will probably be used to further bolster Jadavpur's fearsome reputation.
Maybe nothing will happen...maybe a small thing here or there of no consequence will change at the university.But what fills me up with regret is that we shall chant with glee next year,to our newly admitted juniors,that the prize of the best ragging in 2008 went to Jadavpur University.And life shall go on.

Delhi takes a step forward

Now that we have established the fact that our holiday is over,its time for introduction.I am Dhrubo and I am afraid you will have to put up with me till the time I get fired.
Its admission time at most universities in and around India and that consequently means its overdrive for people with a conscience and a sane mind.
It is indeed pleasing to note that India's best known and most popular university,the renowned University of Delhi has come down hard on ragging,even if only on paper.Known even a few years ago as a hub of the ragging menace,D.U has truly turned a corner...as The Times Of India and a number of newspapers report,it seems the dark clouds hovering over some of India's best educational institutions are now finally dispelled.And this doesn't seem like a false dawn anymore.If even a fraction of the reports bear the stamp of reality,it is but welcome change for the millions who throng the national capital with dreams in their eyes and hope in their hearts.

A particular paragraph caught my eye the other day..."

Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) will also organise an anti-ragging rally to be flagged off by DCP (north) Devesh Srivastava from the DUSU office on the North Campus. Before that DUSU will welcome freshers with chocolates and flowers and a sandalwood tilak around 9 am."(The Times of India(Delhi edition),17th July) What seems amazing about the news item above is the involvement of the student union.I was impressed when the D.U.S.U implemented a voluntary ban on on-smoking campus...the result was before my eyes at S.R.C.C. this January.One can only hope that even if the involvement is a publicity exercise and a bit over the top,it will usher in change long overdue.

We are back

This was a long long break that we had taken.But the great news is that we are back;and back with a bang.People with a conscience,start reading the blog.It might just be the best thing you do all day!
I know its the best thing I have done all day.

CET incident: Police record statements

CET incident: Police record statements
Saturday February 2 2008 09:28 IST

SHANGUMUGHAM Assistant Commissioner (AC) P. Reghunath has started a probe into the alleged manhandling of a fourth-semester student of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) by senior students.

A team led by the AC inspected the room in the college where fourth-semester student Arjun was locked-up and harassed for four days from January 16. He also recorded the statement of the victim and the others concerned.

The police are of the view that since the victim was a fourth-semester student, the incident could not be considered as ragging, but only as atrocity. Meanwhile, the victim who was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here told reporters that there was negligence on the part of the police in probing the case. He alleged that he was assaulted by final year students and SFI activists Nikhil Nambiar, Jith James and Jithu D.

The victim’s parents have also approached the State Human Rights Commission. The All-India Democratic Students’ Organisation has also alleged that the police and the authorities concerned were trying to protect the accused SFI activists.

In another development, SFI activists staged a dharna at the college demanding action against Arjun in the wake of the complaints by first-semester students that Arjun had ragged them. The enquiry commission appointed by the college is yet to complete the probe.

Ragging a violation of human rights

Ragging a violation of human rights
Sunday February 3 2008 06:14 IST

THRISSUR: Ragging is a serious violation of human rights, said Health Secretary Usha Titus.

Presenting a paper on ''Challenges faced by medical fraternity'' organised by Jubilee Mission Medical College here on Saturday, she said that even in foreign countries ragging of the sort found in our country was unheard of.

She said that it was the fundamental responsibility of the doctor to give primary care to his patients. Over-specialisation and compartmentalisation were detrimental to patients.

District Collector M Beena presided over the function. Jubilee Mission Medical College principal Dr V K Ramankutty, director Fr Dr Francis Alapatt and college union chairman A Ahmed also spoke.

Teen fires air gun at mates

Teen fires air gun at mates
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Bangalore, Feb. 3: A 16-year-old fired at two of his classmates from an air gun and injured them, apparently as revenge for ragging.

Ashok (name changed), who had been practising shooting on his first-floor terrace for days, waited for Charan Kumar, 15, and Arun Kumar, 16, to come into view near the house on their way home yesterday afternoon before firing twice.

The pellets hit Charan on his forearm and Arun on his leg. Passers-by called a nearby police patrol vehicle and rushed the boys to Victoria Hospital, not far from the shooting scene in the middle-class Girinagar area. The boys were sent home after surgery to remove the pellets.

The incident comes less than two months after two Class VIII students shot dead a classmate who they said had been tormenting them at a Gurgaon school.

In Bangalore, too, there were warning signs. Ashok, said to be a bright Class X student, was allegedly teased often by a bunch of boys led by Arun. A fortnight ago, teachers at Swami Vivekananda School had to intervene when the boys got into a scuffle.

None of the parents had complained till last night, prompting police to lodge a suo motu case and book Ashok under the juvenile act. He will be produced before the juvenile justice board on Monday, officers said.

Charan’s father R.C. Kumar said he did not file a complaint as it involved his son’s classmate and board exams are due in March.

The police said they would question Ashok’s father, whom they did not name, for presenting his son with the air gun on his birthday recently. The boy had claimed initially that the gun belonged to his father but later admitted it was a gift. No licences are needed for air guns. It is rare for anyone to be killed by an air gun pellet.

Pledge to weed out social ills

Guwahati, Dec. 23: Students of Guwahati’s 10 leading colleges today resolved to put up a joint fight against bandh culture, ragging, private tuition and drug abuse.

A resolution to this effect was taken at a meeting organised by the Assam unit of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) at Sudmerson Hall of Cotton College this afternoon.

The NSUI, the students’ wing of the Congress, also felicitated the office-bearers of the students’ unions of the colleges.

“Besides felicitating the students’ representatives, the NSUI organised a discussion on the four relevant issues. The participants exchanged views on the adverse effect of the ills plaguing society. At the end of the meeting, the representatives of the 10 colleges agreed to adopt a resolution,” the president of the state unit of the NSUI, Bibhuti Bhusan Borthakur, said.

“Students affected by bandhs, ragging, private tuition and addiction to drugs must unite to fight the social malaise.”

The representatives resolved to organise a series of awareness campaigns and meetings in their colleges from next month on the issues, particularly the bandh culture and drug addiction.

There will be interaction sessions between teachers and students to check private tuition.

Efforts will be made to strengthen anti-ragging cells and committees of the colleges to prevent incidents of ragging. The meeting adopted a resolution to constitute a co-ordination committee by the NSUI to keep in touch with the colleges for effective implementation of the initiatives planned to solve the problems.

“It is high time the student community raises its voice against the bandh culture. There are so many organisations which call bandhs at the drop of a hat,” the vice-president of the Cotton College Union Society, Munin Bora, said.

“Students are the worst-affected by the bandh culture. We also have to fight against drug addiction. Many students are ruining their brilliant careers after taking to drugs. The NSUI deserves praise for uniting different colleges to fight against the problems,” Bora said.

Drug abuse has not only compounded the problem of AIDS but also taken a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of the youths.

Students’ representatives from Cotton College, B. Borooah College, J.B. Law College, Handique Girls’ College, Pandu College, Pragjyotish College, Guwahati College, Dispur College, Lalit Chandra Bharali College and College of Veterinary Science attended today’s meeting.

Ragging: Test identification parade sought

THRISSUR: The five senior students of the Kerala Agricultural University’s Veterinary College, who were accused of ragging a first-year student of the college, have filed a petition in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here on Wednesday pleading the court to direct the inquiry officer to conduct a test identification parade.

The accused students, who were present in the court, expressed their readiness to present themselves before the authorities concerned for the test identification parade.

The students alleged that merely on the suspicion of their involvement in the case, the police are harassing them. The case will come up for hearing on Thursday.