Let's say enough is enough to ragging

Ragging is a nasty manifestation of a popular culture that has become depraved. But what will be accomplished by assigning new police functions to school or college administrations? A look at child rearing in Bangladesh will reveal the roots of ragging. Girls appear to have lesser scope or opportunity for anti-social behaviour. But in the case of boys, a great deal is overlooked by parents. Even in school, a parent is offended by reports of anti-social behaviour by his son. Perhaps training children for adulthood has to start much earlier. It is difficult to overlook the fact that ragging is cultural in its origins.
Ragging can be defined as any disorderly conduct, whether by words spoken or written or by an act, which amounts to teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student; indulging in rowdiness or indiscipline which cause or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm; or to raise fear or apprehension in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something, which the student will not do willingly and has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of the victims.
The court's directive to educational institutions to stem ragging is welcome. The practice has cost many youngsters even their lives. The best part of the order is that it fixes responsibility on the institutions to curb ragging.
Gopal Sengupta
E-mail : gopalsengupta@aol.com