Ragging: The hidden mistreatment of freshers by senior students has over the years become a tradition in the higher educational culture in India. Many of these junior students are seriously affected by it, with the worst of the practices forcing them to walk barefoot across campus, stand in the scorching sunlight for hours, and propose to girls in a humiliating circumstance. Many freshers even prefer to avoid going to the university in fear of being subjected to this. This kind of habit has been noted to cause a lot of problems that range from psychological issues, physical injuries and even deaths to the victims. It is true that new university students need to be acclimatised with the college culture, but they certainly do not have to accept such repressive actions. Considering the harmful effects of these activities, university administration ought to take effective initiatives to curb this negative culture. Meanwhile, senior students should speak out against it and work to protect their junior classmates and welcome them in more positive ways.
Md Rustam Parwez
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
