The threat struck again. Shanilka Dilshan Wijesinghe, a youth in his early twenties who just gained admission to Diyagama Campus of Moratuwa University was the latest victim. On Sunday, March 31, he committed suicide leaving a three-page long suicide note in his shirt pocket clearly pointing at violent ragging in the campus as the cause for his suicide.
Most major newspapers and other media gave high publicity of this tragedy but in another three months’ time, the incident will become a non-issue and eventually archived. Statistically, his name will be added to the long list of students who committed suicide due to brutal ragging in Sri Lankan higher education institutions.
Student ragging in Sri Lanka began in 1974, when some trainee mathematics teachers at Kelaniya University (then Vidyalankara University) were ragged by seniors. One year later, University of Peradeniya reported the first ragging related death when a 22-year-old female student of the Faculty of Agriculture, Rupa Rathnaseeli, became paralyzed as a result of jumping from the second floor of the hostel, to escape the physical ragging carried out by her seniors. She committed suicide later.
Today, 45 years later, brutal ragging in our higher education institutes is still a stark reality. No longer is ragging the light-hearted thing of the past. Today, it is a crude and sadistic exercise that, despite widespread censure, continues to be inflicted on unsuspecting freshers by senior students. As an educated society we should be ashamed for not taking appropriate action to curb this menace for such a long period.
It seems that we still have a long way to go before this menace stops completely. It has caused fatalities over the years and has also increased suicide risks among the freshmen student population.
The Act
In 1998, Sri Lankan Parliament ratified the Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act. The broad meaning of this act assumed to totally abolish ragging and other forms of violence such as insults and cruel acts within the Institutes.
The Act defined “ragging” as any type of behaviour which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological injury, fear or mental pain in an undergraduate or a member of staff. The law made ragging a distinct and punishable offence. Considerable punishments including two to ten years rigorous imprisonment and compensation to the victim were prescribed under this Act.
If we turn back and take a hard look at what happened year after year since the 1998 Act, one fact becomes obvious. There were lot of talk but hardly any action! Neither the Higher Education authorities nor the Government has so far taken any effective action to cause a reduction of student ragging. Also, people in higher-up positions of responsibility have failed to implement strictly the prosecution of senior students caught in the act of ragging by referring them through legal channels. It seems that the university authorities had, in the past, soft-pedalled on implementing the 1998 legislation and it is not clear of the reasons for their latitude.
Three kinds
In fact, ragging is now universally regarded as a systemized form of human rights abuse in educational institutions. It defines ragging by identifying the menace with three kinds of abuse: verbal, physical and sexual. In a recent newspaper interview, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Kothalawela Defence University Senior Lecturer Dr. Neil Fernando elaborated these three types.
“The seniors use obscene words and instil fear and pressurize the freshers by demeaning them verbally. Physical ragging may involve the freshers being forced to perform awkward activities which are not normally performed in the day-to-day life. Or, they may force the freshers to eat or drink things which they do not normally consume like urine. They are made to engage in these activities in front of an audience and therefore may result in psychological trauma.”
“The third type of ragging involves sexual abuse. Students may be forced to strip their clothes in front of an audience and perform sexual activities. Such forms of violence and harassment have an adverse effect on a person’s psychology. It may be an experience which will haunt a student throughout his or her life rather than have medium-term effects. It may even result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which results in developing fear, anxiety, guilt, low self-esteem, recurrent dreams or recurrent memories where the victim relives the traumatic experience repeatedly.”
“On the other hand, those engaged in ragging too suffer from a mentality in which they derive pleasure from harming others. They may come from traumatic backgrounds or have family problems.”
Solution
According to the Minister of Higher Education, Rauff Hakeem, 1987 undergraduates had abandoned their education in 2018 due to ragging and ragging-related activities. There can be many others silently suffering lifelong psychological trauma and depression as well as other illnesses.
The university authorities may claim they have provided many portals to report incidents related to ragging. However, due to the fear of retribution by seniors, newcomers are reluctant to antagonize their seniors as they might then be constantly abused, denied access to libraries, canteen and other vital facilities. Such is the magnitude of retribution and intimidation faced by those challenging the established ragging culture of today.
The one authority which should bear the responsibility is the university or the higher education institute. It is there that these acts are conducted and it is there that it should be nipped from the bud. It is the primary responsibility of the relevant authorities to maintain discipline and punish the offenders, in a way that such acts instil fear of negative outcomes upon the conduct of ragging.
The Government also can take few steps to prevent ragging:
Anti-ragging lessons at school level: The primary action, and most possibly most effective one, towards curbing ragging can be achieved at A-level classes. The students need to be made aware of human rights. Awareness of such acts, its consequence and not adhering to other’s cruelty, moulds the young mind into non-indulgence of such activities.
Compulsory pre-session: Before the commencement of each academic session, the Head of the institution should clearly and specifically, give a warning that ragging in no manner will be acceptable. The message should also inform the students of the appropriate punishment which will not be revoked unless proved innocent.
Alternatives to ragging: Instead of ragging and alternative could be introduced some healthy ways of interaction between seniors and newcomers which are more effective and freer of cruelty. Such platforms can be in the form of pre-session fresher parties, social gathering under the supervision of the authorities, interactive games involving seniors and juniors, community work, short trips, games and other such activities.
Publicity of anti-ragging material: Printed anti-ragging material needs to be distributed and publicised throughout the premises of an institute. This material can be emphasised in the prospectus, application forms, admission advertisements and admission forms. Similarly, websites of the institutes can also flash Anti-Ragging material. Zero-Tolerance towards ragging banners, posters, notices depicting the consequences of such an act need to be posted at strategic points of the campus. These messages tend to have a binding effect on the ragging urges as it is associated with serious consequence.
Anti-Ragging bodies: Universities should form anti-ragging cells whose members are students, faculty, staff, police etc., can effectively discourage ragging. These bodies can work undercover or openly for the promotion of the anti-ragging message. This Squad should be given the power of conducting surprise raids on hostels and other possible spots. Maybe, an incentive scheme be applied to them to make it persuadable.
Supervision of hostels: A hostel can be one place where ragging is most likely to take place and most likely to remain unreported. Wardens and associated members should keep a constant vigil on the activities of the residents of the hostels. Surprise checks should be conducted randomly, especially during the nights. Residential faculty and other staff can also be included in the supervision of the hostel environment.
Supervision of residential premises outside the campus: Hostels which are located outside the boundaries of the campus need constant vigilance. The private establishment providing residential facilities to hostellers should be registered with the local police authorities. Police and the institute authorities can put an effective surveillance through routine check-ups and through CCTV cameras installed at strategic points.
Prevention of ragging can be the most effective if anti-ragging is backed by collective effort. Collective effort should represent a part of society and especially the academic community. Thus, it should involve administrators, employees of universities, legal experts, media persons, parents, psychologists, political representatives, representatives of State Governments and local authorities, students, student organisations, statutory authorities, social activists, victims of ragging and all others. If properly guided, such a body could become a force to be reckoned with in handling this ragging menace.
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