Saying no to ragging is yet to be popular in Pakistan’s educational institutions, both civil and military, which fail to curb this menace each year. Ragging, as an initiation ritual, is still prevalent consuming the careers and even lives of students and recruits alike.
In Pakistan, both colleges and universities, including the institutions run by the Pakistan Army such as cadet colleges, especially medical college and engineering university, experience the appalling practice of ragging performed by seniors on juniors after the latter secure admission. Hostels are the worst place. The intensity and type of ragging may differ but it is an essential component of a fresher’s life. If an audit is done, a reality would surface that one of the main reasons for the initial drop out from cadet colleges run in the domain of medicine and engineering is ragging. The tradition of First year Fool is still there in civilian colleges, but after the first week it dies out, and seniors never assert themselves afterwards.
An article on this subject was taken off the website of a newspaper after pressure from certain quarters. The article had talked about the condemned practice of ragging at the Army Medical College, Rawalpindi. The pressurizing quarters fail to understand that truth cannot stay hidden or suppressed for a long time. Further, ragging is a reprehensible practice, which cannot be kept hidden in the name of institutional sanctity. Ragging cannot be rooted out without bringing it into the domain of public censure.
The pressurizing quarters also fail to understand that it is public money that runs the army-controlled colleges and universities. Wherever public money goes, it produces a chain of responsibility and accountability. The concern of parents about the future of their children cannot be wished away to protect or justify lapses on the part of the administration failing to control ragging.
Pakistan’s future lies in its educated youth. It is high time Pakistan announced reforms. Activate the HEC, both central and provincial, to pass stringent laws against ragging in civilian colleges and universities. Introduce civilian oversight in the medical colleges, engineering universities and other cadet colleges run by the Pakistan Army. The sanctity of human life precedes sanctities of state institutions. Amend the constitution, if it is required so. Say no to ragging and hence save the youth.
When a student (fresher), who has spent years in books, is subjected to psychological, emotional and physical torture – all rolled into one called ragging or hazing – in initial days in a college or university, he finds his personality altered and shattered. Ragging modifies the personality of a fresher, who gets inclined to pass on the same experience to juniors. It is not known how a consequent mutilated distorted personality can serve the country. The practice of ragging has to be stopped. There are also reports that students (freshers) studying engineering in National University of Science and Technology (NUST) face the same menace of ragging for the first full month.
There are several types of ragging practised, ranging from demoralizing and defaming the fresher to verbal and physical abuse, besides explicit or implicit sexual acts. Through ragging, seniors try to assume a sense of seniority. It is not known why seniors develop a sense of insecurity about their seniority. Nevertheless, the post-ragging era subjects a victim to depression and insignificance. Ragging appears in its worst form for the students staying in hostels. For the boarders, there is no way to escape. At least, first two weeks are nominated for ragging. During the time, seniors exposed juniors to physical and mental turmoil. The mental trauma of abuse persists for life.
Drug abuse is found more common in hostels mostly as a consequence of ragging. The tyranny is that the administration of the institute turns a blind eye to the deplorable practice of ragging. This is where the administration becomes a partner in crime. This point should be a point of concern for parents. Presently, in Pakistan, there is no anti-ragging legislation.
In 1998, Sri Lanka prohibited ragging by passing the “Prohibition of Ragging and other forms of violence in Educational Institutions Act 1998,” which banned the practice and stipulated the punishment for the offender including prison terms. This was a great beginning in South Asia.
India has also resorted to curbing the menace of ragging. In 2009, the University Grants Commission of India passed regulations to curb the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions. In 2011, even the State of Jammu and Kashmir passed “The Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Ragging Act, 2011” to offer a ragging-free environment to fresh brains at institutes. In 2021, under the “Prevention and Prohibition of Ragging in Medical Colleges/Institutions Regulations, 2021,” the Indian Punjab made it mandatory for all students to fill an anti-ragging undertaking (affidavit). India has also promoted an anti-ragging helpline that is available with a 24/7 toll-free number. A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the name of SAVE works in India as an anti-ragging NGO.
Presently, Pakistan lags behind in legislation against ragging. Similarly, Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) is inactive and indolent in this regard. There is no anti-ragging NGO working in Pakistan. There is no anti-ragging mechanism at provincial and national levels to protect the fresh entrants. Social scientists are carrying out no research on the causes and consequences of ragging.
Pakistan’s future lies in its educated youtlphah. It is high time Pakistan announced reforms. Activate the HEC, both central and provincial, to pass stringent laws against ragging in civilian colleges and universities. Introduce civilian oversight in the medical colleges, engineering universities and other cadet colleges run by the Pakistan Army. The sanctity of human life precedes sanctities of state institutions. Amend the constitution, if it is required so. Say no to ragging and hence save the youth.
