Ragging is about power and control, humiliation and oppression, a spillover of the violence and rage woven into the architecture of daily life.
Feb 22, 2025 07:10 IST First published on: Feb 22, 2025 at 07:10 IST
A first-generation college goer from Assam whose IIT dream ended in an unresolved tragedy on campus; a young doctor from the Bhil Tadvi community who died by suicide following alleged caste-based harassment by seniors in her hostel room. These are only two of the 78 deaths on campus between January 2012 and October 2023, the very real consequences of the dark undertow of campus life — ragging. An investigation by this newspaper has revealed a worrying trend: A despairing lack of justice and closure for the victims of ragging, the young and the vulnerable. From physical abuse to mental harassment, many students find themselves trapped in an unrelenting cycle of violence that often culminates in extreme consequences, including physical harm, irreparable damage to mental health and death by suicide. The investigation shows that victims are often those already on the margins — students from underprivileged backgrounds or historically oppressed communities, first-generation learners who face a difficult adjustment to life in a new, unfamiliar, often intimidating, environment, youngsters who are less equipped to face the physical and emotional trauma of this brazen violation of dignity.
In 2009, setting up guidelines to combat ragging in educational institutions, the Supreme Court had called for strict monitoring of cases of bullying on campuses, the creation of anti-ragging committees, and institutional mechanisms to investigate grievances and deal with offenders. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had also instituted a dedicated helpline to address complaints and spread awareness. However, despite these legal frameworks and explicit mandates, more than a decade later, institutions remain mired in inertia. The UGC chief has flagged weak enforcement of regulations; authorities speak of “frivolous” complaints and difficulties in determining what constitutes ragging. Across the divide, many youngsters fear the repercussions of speaking out — peer pressure, institutional apathy, and, in some cases, the reluctance of families to pursue protracted legal battles for justice. All these allow the problem to fester.
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As the recent instance of ragging at a government nursing college in Kottayam has shown, it is rarely a rite of initiation, more a weapon of intimidation. Ragging is about power and control, humiliation and oppression, a spillover of the violence and rage woven into the architecture of daily life. To deal with this culture of brutality, a mere tightening of regulations is unlikely to work. It will require the more difficult task of creating an environment of genuine inclusivity, where respect, empathy and accountability are not mere catchphrases that are bandied about but put to actual practice at home and outside of it. Where an unlearning of prejudices is complemented by mental-health services that are readily available, confidential, and equipped to deal with the needs of diverse communities. Most of all, it will require ensuring that in places meant to foster diversity, there is no room for impunity. Today’s fresher, the ragging victim, is tomorrow’s senior, the ragging perpetrator. Campuses need to understand and address this to meet the very promise of education — a safe space for learning, growth, and equality for all.
