Ragging is a term used for active, systematical human rights abuse, similar to hazing and fagging, the severest forms of which are found in engineering, medical and military colleges. It is committed by "senior" students (those in second year or higher) upon "freshers", in and outside on-campus residence, called hostels. Ragging has been declared a criminal offence in most states of India.

The forms of ragging may vary from one place to another, but the greatest common factor is the creation of an environment of persistent fear. As part of this effort, freshers are made to do petty work for seniors, which could include doing their academic assignments, doing their laundry, cleaning their rooms, and fetching them food and daily necessities. Freshers are made to sing and dance and please their seniors in whatever way the seniors would want. They are made to learn sexually charged limericks, which use obscene language. Freshers are also asked to perform parodies of homosexual behaviour, invariably asked to undress. They may also be asked to masturbate, hold each other's genitals, hug, kiss, etc., all amongst themselves even as the seniors watch them. Violence may range from incessant slapping to being beaten up with rods and hockey sticks.

Ragging is conducted during a fixed period in every institution, which may range from one day to the whole year. Once this period is over, 'seniors' suddenly become friends: the beginning of this new relationship is often a "fresher’s party". Seniors then go out of their way to help the freshers they “ragged”; almost becoming their guardians. This generalisation may not always be true. By this time, innumerable freshers already suffer from stress and trauma, and may thereafter continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders. Many leave their institution and some commit suicide.

But most 'survive' ragging, and are taken aback with the transformation of enemy into friend, and are only too happy to forget their trauma and move on. Ragging is thus the fresher’s passport to joining the college/hostel community, and many trudge along the ragging period because they wish to belong to the college community. The desire to belong is strongest in the adolescent period of one's life. Those who rebel against ragging are ostracised; retribution may also take the form of physical assault, leading to suicide or fatal injuries.

Similar but not exactly the same as the practice of 'hazing' in Western countries, ragging is a colonial legacy in the Indian sub-continent. The literal meaning of the word "ragging" is 'to tease'. Ragging is done ostensibly to 'break the ice' between 'seniors' and 'freshers'. In theory, it is said to be a means of 'interaction', but in practice it is more than that. Ragging, often explained away as a tradition, gives senior students unfair opportunity to control, abuse and exploit freshers, and derive sadistic pleasure, the sort that they will never again be able to.

Ragging is justified by the seniors in the following ways. Some say that it helps to boost self-confidence in oneself, whereas others say that ordinary, unragged freshmen need some "motivation" to stay together and develop the qualities needed to stay in the college community. It can also be a means to "shape up" an unruly or ostentatious junior,if the senior deems the former as one.

Some states in India have anti-ragging laws. The major boost to anti-ragging efforts was given by a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court of India in May 2001, in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Vishwa Jagriti Mission.

Supreme Court of India's definition

Broadly speaking, ragging is any disorderly conduct whether by words spoken or written or by an act which the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness any other student, Indulging in rowdy or in-disciplined activities which causes or is likely to cause annoyance, hardship or psychological harm or to raise fear or apprehension thereof in a fresher or a junior student or asking the students to do any act or perform something which such student will not do in the ordinary course and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of a fresher or a junior student. The cause of indulging in ragging is deriving a sadistic pleasure or showing off power, authority or superiority by the seniors over their juniors or f

Organisations

• Stop Ragging Campaign
• Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education
• No Ragging Foundation
• No Ragging Foundation
• Join hands against ragging with the NO RAGGING FOUNDATION

External links

• Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education (CURE)
• Latest Ragging News from Indian Colleges (CURE)
• Research & Analysis (CURE)