Ragging and college administration

The honorable Supreme Court has termed ragging as violation of Human Rights as it is in most cases. This should have been viewed as such long time back but then as the saying goes "better late than never". In fact, in number of cases ragging has resulted in death of young and bright students and in such cases the seniors involved should be tried for murder. Even if it is no so extreme in most cases it causes tremendous psychological damage apart from the loss of self esteem. However, the honorable court has only mentioned about a cut in the grants in cases where institutions attempt to protect the guilty. Is that enough? The head of the institution and other administrators directly responsible should face serious charges and direct punishment. In quite a few very renowned institutions some senior persons in charge abet, encourage and at times are directly involved in such heinous activities. It is just not possible to have ragging in most institutes as widespread as it is today without the tacit/active support from the administration.

When I joined REC Rourkela in 1986 the treatment meted out to the 1st year students was horrible and most of us were treated as animals or hard core criminals. There was a professor who was the master mind behind all such activities and was considered to be the right hand man of the then principal. The principal had excellent educational credentials but perhaps was low on personal value system. Unfortunately in our country we focus too much on ability to clear an exam rather than personal values. This particular professor prided himself on the fact that everyone referred to him as DADA (meaning goonda).

The nexus became very clear in one incident where this dada and the principal both had come to address the 1st year students in the hostel of the final year students. After some formal speech and pep talk both of them quietly left, leaving these deer at the mercy of the tigers and our ordeal lasted for a few hours. What happened there, was nothing compared to what was in store for us subsequently and that lasted for more than a year.

When it happened in second year we thought it was too much and started protesting. The 3rd year students with help from the final year students attacked us one night. It was so serious that many students had to be hospitalized and a few of them were in ICU for a few hours if I remember correctly. After that the college was closed sine die and reopened after a month or two. The experience was so traumatic for a few that they used to have nightmares in the hostel even after such a long time. I am sure this massive exercise could not have been carried out without dada’s support. The pressure on the administration was so much the institute had to suspend the leaders of 3rd year and final year for one year which was very mild under the circumstances. No action was taken against the persons in charge of administration including the principal. You see, this was the most reputed institution in Orissa and its prestige had to be protected at any cost. Cost of the life of a few students who are ordinary citizens is as usual a very small price. There is another college in Burla where the situation was so bad that some students joined REC even if it meant loss of one year.

The real surprise came a few years later when I met this leader of final year at the residence of my elder brother who is in the Indian Railways. This guy had joined Railways and my brother had invited him for lunch. The leader of 3rd year got into IIM. The dada went on to become the principal of one of the engineering colleges in Orissa. After all, they had demonstrated the so called leadership qualities in their ability to formulate a strategy, a plan and execute it ruthlessly. In a fiercely competitive world who has the time to find out the purpose, objective, values and methods employed? Isn’t that an indication that you can do anything and get away with it especially if you are part of "you scratch my back and I scratch yours" mutually beneficial and admiring society? I am sure the fact that these students were suspended for ragging and beating up students mercilessly was somehow managed with dada's blessing so that it didn't affect their future career. There were quite a few who didn't participate in this fanatic endeavor. There was also my good friend Ajit Panda who dared to oppose this and showed tremendous courage of conviction. He was locked up inside a room and was neutralised. Fortunately he was a very good student and had the respect of lot of people owing to which perhaps he escaped a more harsher punishment for his rebellion against his own batch. Incidentally he is also with the Indian Railways. People like him still provide hope in a country that has been plundered and ravaged for centuries more by its own citizens than outsiders.

I had an opposite experience in IIM Ahmedabad where the 2nd year students took us for a ride with open help from a few professors and it lasted only for half a day. Though at that point of time it was a little embarrasing initially, at the end it was fun and everyone enjoyed it. Even today that incident can make me laugh and that is the way it should be.