Guwahati, Dec 23: "My seniors would ask for my things, and if I refused to give them, they used to tease and beat me," says a 19-year-old student named Sahil Deka (name changed), who was once a boarder at one of the hostels at Cotton University in Guwahati. Deka said that he used to feel uncomfortable while he faced ragging in hostel and wept profusely until one day he reached out to the warden to complaint against them.
While another student, Rupam Das (name changed), who is pursuing graduation in Gauhati University confessed that he has faced ragging from his senior. "I was bullied and mentally tortured,' said Das during his stay in a hostel at the University. " I left hostel following the incident," the 24-year-old stated on asking what step he took against the seniors.
The following incidents of ragging are not very uncommon stories in the hostels of prestigious universities of Assam. Though most of the colleges, state and central universities claim to have ragging-free campuses but in reality the scenario is quite the opposite.
The age-old practice of ragging, which is a serious offense in the eyes of law, is still prevalent amidst the students in higher educational institutions and has been in continuous practice over time immemorial.
The issue of ragging became an apple of discord after the horrific incident that occurred in Dibrugarh University came to light where six students were found guilty of ragging, of one Anand Sharma, who is pursuing M.Com at the university, for which Sharma, inorder to escape jumped off the second floor of his hostel to "save himself from the extreme mental and physical torture" inflicted by five students, including a former student.
The incident of Sharma was just the tip of the iceberg. There are multiple such incidents that remain confined behind the rooms and corridors of the hostels and has not come into anyone's notice as reporting the matter could invite an impending danger to the students.
As per data collected by the University Grants Commission (UGC), 3,299 cases of ragging of students have been registered across India between April 18, 2012 and December 12, 2017. The cases of ragging registered a 70% increased in 2017 and as per reports, only 957 students were punished in these cases.
The reports mentioned by the UGC also stated that, the number of complaints has doubled in the last three years and it is evident from the cases which have come to the fore. Ragging or bullying is seen as a crime and is a punishable offence under various institutional and state laws in India. The anti-ragging law of India states that under Section 4 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), "Whosoever, directly or indirectly, commits or participates in or abets or propagates ragging within or, outside any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine."
It also states that, "If the particular person committing or abetting ragging is not identified, every person participating in, or present at, such ragging activity shall be liable to punishment under the Act and collective punishment shall be resorted to so as to act as a deterrent punishment and to ensure collective pressure on the potential raggers."
Even, it is mentioned in the Section 26(1)(g) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, that the University Grants Commission (UGC) the authority should establish regulations for the maintenance of standards and the coordination of work or facilities in Universities along with firm directives to the Indian Institutes to establish strict anti-ragging policies.
But, are educational institutions in Assam or in the country are really abiding by the mandate of UGC's anti-ragging policies?
Incidents of ragging or bullying has not only been restricted till the state universities. The Central Universities and Medical Colleges are no exception. However, the students of Central University of Tezpur are of the view and takes pride that the campus has not witnessed any case of ragging in recent times and term it as a zero tolerant ragging free institute.
Thus, Chandan Kumar Nath, a student of Linguistics and Language Technology, Tezpur University, claims that, "Tezpur University is highly stringent about its anti-ragging measures, despite the fact that it is widespread in many college hostels in Assam and despite having "anti-ragging units" in their administration."
"This is my second master degree in this university, now as a boarder of Nilachal Men's Hostel (NMH) here I have never come across any indication of any form of ragging, verbal or physical, in the last two years," he says.
He further said that, the students mostly remain busy with their own lives, their studies, having fun and working hard, just like everyone else. The older boarders are welcoming and friendly. Lastly he added that, "I cannot speak for all the other students living in the hostels, but in my personal experience I have never faced any inappropriate behaviour in the hostels of TU."
On the contrary, a student and boarder of Tezpur University, who chose to remain anonymous speaking to The Assam Tribune opined that, ragging is quite prevalent in the Tezpur University, and the admin is blindfolded especially the prefects and admin committee support the same."
On asking the students if he has reported the matter to person in-charge said, "Nobody wants to complain because the students are scared to report the matter to the authorities."
Again, another boarder of one of the hostels have expressed that, students here do not involve themselves into ragging but they do it the other way in our introductory session which he found to be discomforting.
Meanwhile, yet in another situation in Government Dental college, Silchar, 14 hostelers from the second and final semesters of the Dental College Silchar, were accused of ragging some students from the college's first semester, which was followed by an expulsion of the students from the hostel, who were found guilty.
So, in the backdrop of the recent incident of alleged ragging in the higher educational institutes of Assam, the premier institutes in the Barak valley of the region— Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), Assam University, and NIT Silchar, have come to a decision unanimously to put a halt in the malpractice of ragging in the campuses.
Dr Babul Kumar Bezbaruah, principal of SMCH, while speaking to The Assam Tribune said, " We are keeping the first year students in separate hostel facilities and also we are keeping close vigil to prevent any instance of ragging within the campus."
"While the first year boys are accommodated in the new 120 capacity hostel, facilities have been arranged for the first year girl students also. We are constantly monitoring the matter and also interacting with the students on a frequent basis," the principal said.
As, they say, every lock has a key, and every problem has a solution, the students in general are of the view that the change in the age-old practice can only be brought by disseminating awareness about the anti-ragging law, active vigilance of the authorities of the institutions.
Besides, it is also essential for the students to also form a safe space and a network of support among the peers such that practices of ragging or bullying comes to a complete standstill.
