Many seniors helped me during my time in college. They guided me, helped me in selecting books and in preparing for exams and placements – my seniors treated me like their younger brother.
In fact, these were the seniors who protected me from ragging, so many times. Even after I graduated from college, every senior I’d met outside of it, helped and supported me even though we hadn’t spoken to each other. They were willing to go an extra mile, just because they were my seniors from college. They opened their gates and welcomed me warmly because we came from the same college. Perhaps, that’s how the ordinary human mind works. You just need some connection – the same place, the same educational institute, etc.
I find ragging to be irrelevant. What century do we live in? Are we savages? Why can’t we behave like civilised and educated people?
As a senior, whenever I have met a junior from college, I’ve tried to help them in everything that they need. I met one during my masters and I tried to guide him to the best of my ability. There are times when I get random calls from juniors and we end up talking for an hour or more. I don’t think there is any need for ragging to build a connection, all that’s needed is a good intention. Many big institutions where ragging is strictly prohibited have some of the most robust senior networks in India. I have seen people getting international internships on the basis of recommendations from college seniors.
As far as interactions are concerned, I fail to understand what stops people from having a regular conversation. I have known people who suffered so much because of ragging. Some have cried because of being beaten up while some others have left the college hostel. All of this can be avoided if people just have a friendlier interaction. Let the juniors introduce themselves without any pressure, let them sing, dance or do whatever that they wish to do.
There are no life lessons in juniors getting ragged. There is nothing to do with personality development when it comes to ragging. If the seniors are so concerned about their juniors’ personality then, they should organise something like personality development classes instead of ragging them. And it is also nothing to do with being comfortable and frank with somebody. Comfort and frankness come with time and with people that you feel comfortable with. Abuse in the name of ragging is not the way to do it.
Ragging is a criminal offense under IPC sections 294, 323, 324, 325, 336, 339, 340, 341 and 342. The relationship between a senior and a junior is wonderful, but any kind of mental or physical torture cannot be justified. A crime is a crime and I don’t expect educated people like us to behave in this way and support abuse in the name of ragging.