Get up, stand up hit out at ragging

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, July 11, 2007

It is that time of the year when freshers in colleges break out into a sweat over ragging. With a new session beginning, students of Jadavpur University (JU) have come up with a unique anti-ragging poster campaign.
In a week’s time, JU will be filled with teaser posters “Say no to ragging.” A brainchild of Parag Sharkar, a mass communication student of the university, the campaign will be followed by anti-ragging messages. Thirteen students from the electronics stream and one student from the Bengali department have participated in the campaign.
“We are starting with two teaser illustrations, which will be followed by anti ragging posters. All pictures have been shot in the university itself. The idea was to make it peppy and appealing to the young crowd,” said Sharkar.
The posters will be put up in all the happening spots of the varsity. “We will put up the posters where students gather for adda,” the mass communication student said. The Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union (FETSU) are supporting the campaign.
Speaking to HT, Rajat Ray dean of students’ affair said, “First year engineering classes start from July 12. We want all newcomers to feel comfortable inside the campus. The anti-ragging posters will make them feel reassured.”
Ray added, “Sometimes senior students request teachers to leave classes so that they rag them. We are asking students to inform us about such teachers. The student should also keep phone numbers of members of anti-ragging panel on speed dial. If the student is alone and sees seniors approaching, then the individual can auto dial the teachers number so that he can hear the conversation.
Other universities too are taking precautions. The reason, a recent Supreme Court judgment stating that in case a student is ragged he can lodge an FIR against the offenders or the institution can conduct an independent enquiry. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome, then the institution will have to lodge a FIR.
“The reputation of institutions is at stake. Hence all colleges have endorsed anti-ragging campaigns. Ragging is a very serious offence,” said S. R. Islam, registrar of West Bengal University of Technology, which has 64 private engineering colleges’ affiliated under it.
Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Shibpur is also gearing up. “For the first month there will be guards deployed in front of fresher hostels. Security personnel will be standing outside the classes. There will be a roving team consisting of teachers and students who will helping freshers to get acquainted with the university. We are also asking seniors to stay away from ragging and its implications on their career,” said Lieutenant Colonel Anjan Kumar Ghosh, dean of students of BESU.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com