|
Please read through, may be this can be a self-actualization session for the seniors and they can mend their path to become a better human being. Otherwise, the wise and mature section of our society can, may be, search for a solution to diminish such inhuman instincts in youngsters, once they get acquainted with them. I have divided this article into two parts dealing with mild ragging and severe ragging separately. I will first discuss severe ragging. The idea being that mild ragging is driven by the traditional approach it has, and secondly it is provoked by basic human instincts. Also, severe Ragging is a bigger evil and needs attention first. SEVERE RAGGING
This kind of ragging consists of extreme physical and sexual torture . It is more prevalent in hostels, though some of its forms can also be seen in the campus. It may range from stripping freshmen naked, involving them in sexual acts or obscenity to getting a lot of work done through him in harsh conditions and hurting him physically every now and then.
Acts that are prevalent in the campus and which might be classified as severe ragging are for instance, when a freshman is asked to smooch a statue or another freshman i.e. vulgar acts or overworking the person by making him do the senior's work. This kind of ragging leads to serious mental trauma and serious psychological disorders. The day to day routine of the person might get disturbed due to overworking (sleepless nights and pitiful days) and one may find himself in a position which can rightfully be compared with that of a slave. Though generally these forms of ragging are not spoken out in public, but still some senior students have reasons to cite. At the face of it, this ragging is unpardonable, but then one has to hear both sides before passing any judgment. So lets try to look at what the raggers have to say. - This makes the person comfortable in the hostel and he feels free thereafter. No more is he shy and is at ease with other hostelites. It helps the person to forget his family as all his concentration is in one direction i.e. to save himself from ragging.
- It gives a person a taste of real life and how to sustain in it. It is like a grow-up-tonic badly needed by the fresher to become used to adult's life. It is also classified as a Sex Education lesson.
- After all it is a temporary period and after that the junior can trouble us also. The seniors also help them afterwards. And then he also has a batch of junior coming up next year and for the next few years in engineering and medical colleges
This is the reality... - No more shy and open to all: I think there is a substantial difference between the words ' shame ' and ' shy '. A person might lose shame but will he lose shyness remains a question. On the other hand what is the purpose of loosing one's shame when the Indian culture keeps it in high esteem.
Secondly , as far as making someone comfortable is concerned, there can be many other decent ways to do so like extending a warm welcome and behaving like a family. Is clothes such a barrier in interaction of two humans that first of all it has to be removed...I don't see this. A better relation can definitely be built from heart to heart. If the seniors want to say that they are animals and hence are making animals out of freshmen so that they can adjust with them, then the problem is their abnormality and not the freshman's incompatibility. Then, why should the freshmen suffer?
One never forgets his family and that too in such a situation. He craves day and night for his family, their warmth and caring attitude. These feelings may just get lost when the torture is on, but at all other times, the feeling only becomes stronger. - A taste of real life: Well, I don't see the world around so bad, that a person has to learn to live in such circumstances. I agree, that definitely the person feels secure in his family and this belief of security is shattered when the real world manifests itself. But then the real world is not all that torturing and bad in taste, that one has to go through artificially constructed evil environments before facing it. Rather the person has to prepare himself for ragging and that is the first and the most ugly part of society, he has to face. This is like the butcher telling a goat before slaughtering it that you will have a better life in your next birth!
If the grow-up-tonic has been mentioned in regard to sexual maturity , it is too funny to be contradicted. Everyone has different sexual priorities and doesn't have to be pushed in anything. In case the person doesn't have much sex knowledge, it doesn't mean that one has to give practical examples to explain. It is like pushing a person off a mountain to explain him that it hurts when you fall from height! - It is after all no harm: The rule is "Live and let live" and not "Kill and die" . If the senior has troubled the junior, he can also do same (may be much less in intensity) with him afterwards and also rag his juniors. Why at all give rise to such a stupid tradition that harms everyone? No one is satisfied at the end of it. I see no reason to it.
As far the help from seniors is concerned, let me make a bold statement, "No one is indispensable in this world" . If you help, its great, but asking such a massive price for it is sheer nonsense. Your help is needed but is not a necessity. It is accepted to come through channels of humanity, else keep it with one's self and don't expect the price either. Help is offered and not sold.
Lastly I will like to mention once again, the reasons cited by the seniors are more of explanations given by a person who feels guilty. He finds ways to explain his conduct to satisfy his inner self and the society. It is just a question of strong resolve on the part of the senior and he can stop this rotten tradition from going on. If he, for a minute, speculates about the moral implications of what he is doing, he will understand his mistake. The tradition of ragging gives him the power, the junior is ready to obey him, he can use this power to abuse him or to work with him for a better society. What is needed is a strong will power to not do, what may be all his other batchmates are doing, and not get attracted by the superficial sadistic pleasure they are deriving, but understand the inert inhumanity involved. Let us have a look at the probable precise reasons of this continuing phenomenon . - A win-win situation: As far as physical work is concerned, as I cited earlier, everyone wants to escape from work. And in this situation where he has a slave to do it properly and according to his wishes, he will definitely get it done.
- Revenge: I believe that the main cause of harsh ragging is revenge. All the suffering the person had to go through as a freshman, are inflicted on the freshman. That satisfies him, when he sees someone suffering in the same way as he did. It gives a feeling that everyone has to go through it, and then it is just fine. Another feeling is that, when he had to go through ragging, no one came for his rescue; therefore let others also face it. The person doesn't reflect that he may prove to be the missing link, breaking the whole chain
- Sexual desires: People have many sexually oriented desires. These are not fulfilled due to social boundaries and for a good name. It is not that the person is inertly sane on these topics but it is only the society, which he fears. Again when the person gets a slave to fulfill all his abnormal sexual desires (which he dreamt of) in the way he wants, he exercises full control. He knows that no one will get to know about it and he will escape cleanly. Homosexual desires, which the person has no hope to be ever fulfilled, also find an expression in these acts.
- Be like me: Many people want others to be like them. They want others to follow what they think right, because it is them who give the verdict. Those things, which they do but feel are wrong, are also imposed on others to make it socially acceptable (as the majority is involved in it). Drug abuse and sexual torture also has a reason in this mentality.
- Ego and ego hurt: The senior does harsh ragging just to show his power to the freshmen. He wants to tell the fresher that he is the boss, he can do anything and the fresher is at his mercy. Many a times, more devilish ways of raggings are imagined, when a freshman says no to do something. The ego of the senior is hurt and he wants to teach the freshman a lesson. With cooperation of other seniors like him, he drags the life out of the junior. He doesn't realize that his ego is torn into pieces daily by various government authorities and will later be manhandled by his BOSS.
- Anger disposal bins: Freshmen are like anger disposal bins. All that makes or ever made the senior angry, the freshman will have to face it. The coward didn't have the guts to answer back to the person who made him angry or admit his mistake. He will extract relief and fun from the junior.
- Disillusioned: Many a seniors think that the junior has to go through all this torture and it is good for him. They really believe or make themselves believe the word of their own seniors i.e. ragging is for benefit of one and all. These people are actually disillusioned and kind of psychologically dumb. They fancy themselves as 'global policemen'. 'It is for your good, you will see the benefits later' is their advice to the freshman. They find a way to hide their corrupted intentions and also explain to their mind a theory that has been designed (out of guilt) by their own disillusioned intellect.
- Union interference: The student unions in many colleges are a group of people who are tyrants and want to be the boss. Secondly, they derive their power from the common podium they stand on and feel united. This so-called unity gives them the guts to do the wrong. They are more precisely an organisation of bullies. Many members of such organisations directly and indirectly get involved in ragging juniors. They derive their power from the fact that they are first of all famous 'gundaas' and a part of the union.
MILD RAGGING
This kind of ragging is generally verbal or demands mild practical work or acts . It may range from asking embarrassing questions, demanding respect, intimidation, cutting through the junior's verbal freedom to getting bus passes made, dance in stupid manner, follow a dress-code or propose to a girl. This may hurt one mentally, conflict with one's views but doesn't have an element of physical or sexual torture. It is prevalent in college campuses than hostels.
The reasons generally cited by seniors for such acts are the following: - To crush the ego of the junior , to bring him on ground level. It is not only harmless fun, but for the benefit of the newcomer.
- It is the interactive way of knowing the seniors and one doesn't forget a person who ragged him thereafter.
- It is also stated, that the junior becomes more open and his introvert tendencies are destroyed. He comes out of the books and gets involved in extra-curricular activities
- The junior also has fun in such ragging
A happy-go-lucky person can take such ragging in his stride. It doesn't bring huge problems for the general public. But, still this world yet not devoid of sensitive and highly principled individuals, so it is a must to understand the reasons for such ragging. - Crushing the ego of the newcomer: Ego cannot be crushed so easily. For the freshman, it is a temporary period, when he enacts that he is a humble person. He pictures himself exactly like his senior acting the very same way with his junior next year.
Ego cannot be crushed by temporary periods of down toning . Rather it can be uprooted conceptually.
I would rather say that ragging is the mean to satisfy the falsified ego of the senior. They want to feel big and the boss. It is an expression to the inert wish to keep everyone under one's feet. - Interactive way of knowing one's senior: An i nteractive relation is a mutual relation, where both sides can put forth their views and feelings . But ragging is totally one sided, senior-dominant. Hence it is certainly not an interactive way where one side has totally no right to speak out his mind.
Secondly , the remembering advantage might not actually be an advantage. We also remember all the bad times of our lives. Sometimes we are happy remembering them, but that is only because we know that it is over now. Hence though ragging obviously creates memories, but good or bad ones is the question. There could have been other ways to create a memorable and good relation. - Destroying the introvert tendency: Though I will like to say that ragging does have this one benefit, but there are many other ways in which such results can be brought up. The person can be pushed in extra-curricular activities by some warmth and some anger. There is no need to do plenty more things, which the seniors do to the freshmen in disguise of this one reason. Hence though this reason is somewhat true, but first of all it doesn't always work and secondly doesn't need all what is actually done in ragging.
- Fun for juniors: This may or may not be true.
Hence I see that the reasons sited by the seniors are more of an explanation for the sake of it. I will also like to point out, that though these reasons are given, when actually the seniors are at their ragging job, they hardly consider these and their mere intentions are to trouble and extract fun from the freshmen. Till now we were analyzing the reasons given by the seniors and the loopholes in it. If people have more reasons to site, please mail us. Now I come to the actual reasons for MILD ragging... - Haathi ke per mein sabka per hai: Many of the students involved in the mild form of ragging are actually doing it just because everyone is doing it! It is like a movement where everyone is involved no one knowing why actually he is doing it. It gives them momentary pleasure. There are only 5% people who are really into the game and all others are just sane people who get involved being an opportunist and interested in some fun. The 5% people carry the movement, encourage others to do ragging and tease the non-doers as weak. Hence maximum of the people don't realise or don't want to realise that what they are doing is wrong.
- Jealousy and envy: Many a times, jealousy leads to ragging. This is the reason why smart person is the victim of most embarrassing and crude ragging. In general, when someone is jealous of a person, he cannot express himself due to fear of earning a bad name for himself. Ragging gives him the forum to manifest his jealousy. Therefore jealousy manifests itself in its full glory. Due to the same reason the top rankers are ragged the most. Also dress code is a result of inert jealousy.
Again, many a times when juniors are told to say or tell abusive words, reason being that the person ragging cannot bear a good person. He is again jealous and wants to change you. Sorry that he has not read the story where a line can be made small by drawing a bigger line on its side. - A sigh of relief: Who will not like to get his work done by others? Get an all-win situation and you will run to grab it. In case of ragging, when there is no loss, any one will be impelled to get his work done. In this age (not knowing of the previous ones!!!), the morally sane people can hardly be found, hence comes this form. This is quite self
- I am the big boss: "They all scared of me", exclaims a senior. Well, they all also scared of animals, do you want to be categorized with them, your wish. Toning the junior down, crushing his confidence, slashing his right to speak his mind, threatening him is done to scare the junior. So that one can feel like the big boss (probably Amrish Puri of modern day films) and command everyone around. It gives some inner satisfaction to the person when he sees everyone under his foot. Again, this tradition gives the person to achieve this miserable, dictator-like desire.
- Dreams realized: Just go back and have a tour of your mind...won't you like to see a girl with a moustache (your this wish many-a-times finds its approval in the newspaper), a boy with a lipstick, someone polishing your shoes, a person acting like a monkey, etc. Many of this brings ego satisfaction to you and some acts just bring laughter for the sake of it. Again, ragging gives a chance to realize all dreams disguised in a tradition at the cost of some one's emotions, feelings, principles and future persona. FUN is the watchword here.
- For the sake of it: Cut your moustache, shave everyday, don't wear a watch, etc. are things a freshmen might face. These things are asked for the sake of it. If it brings some trouble to the junior, well and good, if not, he obeys me!
- Fun in troubling and embarrassing: Many a times juniors are told to do things which doesn't bring fun to the senior, nor realize any of his dreams. He is just interested in embarrassing the freshmen and troubling him. That becomes fun for him. He may ask one to walk up and down the building 10 times or ask sexually oriented questions in a embarrassing way. He loves to see the junior gasping for breath or embarrassed, unable to answer. The Hyde in his character is dominant at that time. May be some part of this is also a result of inert jealousy. FUN is all he is concerned in, fun in the way he has defined it, and fun in the way you will not like to let him have.
These are the reasons that I feel really compel the tradition to live in its full glory. I would still like to say to the freshmen that this form of ragging is not all that unbearable, and one should not mind giving some pleasure to others on your cost like the JOKER does. Though, I still acknowledge that everyone is unique, has his own way of thinking and principles to follow. On the whole, I believe that the best way to stop ragging is realization by the senior himself. He should understand that by doing ragging, it is his weakness which instigates him not his strength, he is not respected but feared, he embosses bad memories than sweet moments… It is concluded that ragging derives its major power from its traditional nature. As it is a tradition and many people are involved in it, no one is scared of becoming a part of it.
Only one missing link is needed. by Varun Aggarwal
|
