There can be no excuse for violent ragging

On March 10, a group of students rained blows on Yuvraj Chaurasiya and kicked him outside the college gate

A young man from a Kandivli college has allegedly been assaulted by seniors of the same college, suffering considerable injuries. The incident took place just outside the college gates, a report stated in this paper.

The student who was beaten up claimed he has been targeted verbally in the past, with a bunch of students taunting him for his long hair and calling him names. There has been a police complaint filed.

Investigations are on, and footage has been provided to the cops. The college administration has said that this has happened outside the premises. While this is one incident, let us put an end to the ragging culture, everywhere in all institutions. One fails to see how harassing and humiliating people helps them bond with seniors or breaks the ice.

There is also a very fine line between teasing in fun as some of the students say and how it is perceived. A sensitive student may be hugely traumatised by this, while another may not. One can never be extremely sure about any reaction. Those who are mercilessly bullied while junior may turn out to be especially cruel seniors, justifying that they had to endure the same when they entered college.

We have witnessed students die by suicide in some cases as a result of ragging, which may be verbal. Besides, there is a difference between words and physical assault. Beating up somebody is assault there are no two ways about that. In the same way, words wound and sometimes those may never heal.

Verbal barbs may escalate to physical assaults as is very often the case, so it is unwise to dismiss complaints as harmless ribbing. In all aspects this practice is harmful and giving bullies a ‘legit' avenue, coating their crimes as ‘acceptable'. Action and leading by punitive examples, recourse to complaints, anti-ragging committee with teeth is the way ahead, so that ragging is stamped out completely.