Ragging

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Ragging (known in the USA as hazing) is the systematic ritual physical and psychological abuse of freshmen or other juniors by their seniors in an educational setup, with the purported intent of socially inducting the newcomers into the group. It is widely practised in schools and colleges across the world, and often leads to excesses which have been widely condemned in all societies.

The phenomenon is particularly prevalent in army and police forces, where new recruits are required to undergo a degree of physical abuse. This practice is to a large degree actively promoted by many military groups.

Legal and Sociological Aspects

Ragging has a long history, and has been highlighted in literature (e.g. in Britain, Tom Brown's Schooldays, or Boy by Roald Dahl, and in India, Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone). In recent years, it has been the focus of a number of legal actions. For example, the Supreme Court of India defined it in a 2001 judgement as:

Any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, Indulging in rowdy or indisciplined activities which causes or Is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student.

Ragging can be thought of in terms of the following broad categories. A single act may be a combination of more than one of the following types of aggression:

• Verbal: Verbal ragging is defined as a non-consensual conversation between the senior and freshman, where the senior humiliates the freshman, forces him to answer personally/socially-unacceptable questions/topics, teases/harasses him/her, does an exhibition of his/her superiority leading to mental trauma, uneasiness, discomfort for the fresher.

• Physical: Physical ragging is defined as a non-consensual act by a senior toward the junior with the goal of hitting, inflicting physical injury or compromising the dignity of the fresher. Also, the act of asking the fresher to do something which is not normal human physical disposition; could create physical injury, health problems or lose of dignity for the freshman are considered physical ragging. Possible examples for the former are: beating the fresher, touching the fresher with one's shoe/feet, hitting the fresher with objects, etc. The latter would comprise asking the fresher to slap him/herself, sit in a 'cuckoo' position, drink/eat something inedible, stand for long on one feet, sweep his/her room, etc.

• Sexual: Sexual ragging is defined as a non-consensual act by a senior, that of asking the junior to do something which is damaging or compromises the sexual dignity of the junior; doing an act of sexual nature with the junior. This shall comprise of asking the junior to strip, have unnatural sex, masturbate in public, touch private parts, etc.

A report from 2007 by the Indian anti-ragging group Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education analyzed 64 ragging complaints, and found that over 60% of these were related to physical ragging, and 20% were sexual in nature. Ragging is conducted during a fixed period in most institutions, which may range from one day to the whole year. Once this period is over, 'seniors' suddenly become friends: the beginning of this new relationship is often a "fresher’s party", where in some traditions, the freshers may rag their seniors. Seniors then go out of their way to help the freshers they “ragged”; almost becoming their guardians. This generalisation may not always be true. In any event, innumerable freshers under severe stress may have left the system by now, or may be suffering from serious Psychological trauma, which continues to take its toll through post-traumatic stress disorders. Occasionally, there may have been physical injury, or some may even commit suicide.

Ragging in India

With the increasing privatization of higher education in India, academic institutions in India have been experiencing increasing ragging related excesses. A report from 2007 highlights 42 instances of physical injury, and reports on ten deaths purportedly the result of ragging:

Ragging has caused a total of ten deaths in the last 2 years, [all of which] are not those of freshers. C. Lalitha, the mother of Mukesh ended her life due to the controversy surrounding the sexual abuse of her son during ragging (Andhra Pradesh, Sept 2006). Three of the ragging deaths were that of seniors: two seniors were killed by a first year student when he was being ragged (Vidyanagar, MP, Aug 2006); one senior ended his life when he was punished for ragging. The other seven deaths were those of freshman, six who committed suicide, and one due to the result of brutal ragging (equivalent to murder).

In addition, a number of freshers were severely traumatized to the extent that they were admitted to mental institutions.

However, in many colleges, like IIT, Bombay and IIIT Hyderabad. Ragging has been strictly banned.

Legislation

In 1997, the state of Tamil Nadu first passed laws related to ragging Subsequently, a major boost to anti-ragging efforts was given by a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court of India in May 2001, in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Vishwa Jagriti Mission.

The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), following a directive by the Supreme court, appointed a seven member panel headed by ex-CBI director Dr. R. K. Raghavan to recommend anti-ragging measures. The Raghavan Committee report, submitted to the court in May 2007, includes a proposal to include ragging as a special section under the Indian Penal Code. The Supreme Court of India interim order (based on the recommendations) dated May 16, 2007 makes it obligatory for academic institutions to file official First Information Reports with the police in any instance of a complaint of ragging. This would ensure that all cases would be formally investigated under criminal justice system, and not by the academic institutions own ad-hoc bodies.

While these measures have been generally welcomed, a minority have protested that such draconian measures may be taking away academic fun from student life.

Abolition of Ragging

The Indian Supreme Court has taken a strong stand to prevent ragging. In 2006, the court directed the H.R.D. Ministry of the Govt. of India to form a panel which will suggest guidelines to control ragging.

The panel, headed by the former director of C.B.I. Dr. R.K.Raghavan, met victims, guardians and others across the country. The Raghavan committee has placed its recommendation to the Honbl. Supreme Court which has given its order on the issue.

Anti Ragging Movement

With the situation of ragging turning uglier every year, youths started volunteering anti ragging movements. Voluntary organizations like No Ragging Foundation conduct drives for public awareness and arrange for support to the victims. While others like Stopragging and CURE run hit websites to protest and research online. These organizations have hit the youth forums like Orkut to conduct awareness there, online. No Ragging Foundation has topped the Orkut list. Some other Anti Ragging Communities like Stop Rubbish Ragging and others have also been spreading awareness successfully through Orkut.

The Indian media has been playing a crucial role for long, by exposing ragging incidents and the indifference of many concerned institutions to curb it. The Honbl. Supreme Court of India has directed, in its interim judgement, that action may be taken even against negligent institutions.

Evolution and History

This phenomenon can be traced back to as early as 7th or 8th century A.D. In Greek culture, new entrants to the sport community were subjected to all kinds of humiliations and teasing to inculcate a team spirit in them. Gradually with the passage of time this technique was subjected to myriad modifications and was later adopted by the military forces, from there it finally entered in the education system.

Ragging in its modern form may originate in the British public school practice of fagging, brought to India in the colonial period, but the two should be regarded as distinct phenomena.

The first ragging related death occurred in 1873 when a freshman from Cornell University fell into a gorge as a consequence of ragging.

Another particular country in which ragging is widely prevalent; often in extremity, is Malaysia, in numerous public universities such as Universiti Malaya, despite a ban being issued by the Malaysian Government. Freshmen are given an array of humiliating tasks to carry out, such as wearing the same set of clothes for several days, while those who disobey are severely punished and issued the threat of "balik kampung"(expulsion).

Psychological Perspectives

Ragging as a phenomenon is characterised by a vicious circle in which the victim (the first year student), becomes the perpetrator (the senior student) within a matter of one year. The whole concept is based on two major beliefs about ragging:

• It has a positive effect on the personality of the fresher
• It helps in the interaction between the seniors and freshers.

The seniors make every effort to ensure that these beliefs are well passed on to their juniors. Gradually as the fresher goes through repeated tortures and is inculcated with the myths of ragging, he not only becomes insensitive to it but starts believing in the concept of ragging. It is this which ensures the phenomenon of ragging to pass on from batch after batch.

Social Perceptions

Ragging enjoys social acceptance due to some beliefs prevalent in the society. Many people falsely believe that:

• Ragging is harmless fun
• Ragging doesn't mean more than cleaning the senior's room or removing your shirt
• Severe ragging is not prevalent anymore
• Ragging generates a feeling of unity and oneness
• Ragging makes the fresher bold

Tackling ragging requires that society stop its denial of ragging, where ragging is not recognized as a social evil, and that clear punitive measures be defined and implemented for handling offending seniors.

Other uses of the word

Uses of the word ragging by "chavs" in British society may refer to a bout of unrestrained violence, a term assosciated with the trend of happy slapping. Another meaning popularized by "chavs" and often mocked by the middle classes is a connotation for rough sexual intercourse. In this context however, it is considered to be highly taboo.

Organizations

• Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE), website
• Stop Ragging Campaign
• No Ragging Foundation

See also

• Rag Painting as in Faux Painting

External links

• Indian Government feedback page "Indian Govt. wants to hear from You"