Ragged truth of ragging

7 December 2011 06:30 pm - 2 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Referring to the incident, Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University told that media tends to blow minor ragging incidents out of proportion, thereby drawing undue attention to the institution. In certain contexts, his statement could be right, however, the incident reported on Monday was certainly not a ‘minor’ incident. It may be true that Peradeniya University, despite its salubrious location and breath-taking surroundings, does not boast of a history devoid of ragging. Yet, if the authorities are determined to change the present and thereby making a future without ragging, they should take steps that are more practicable and drastic to bring out immediate changes for the better. Their focus should not only be on the quality of education and the number of graduates produced, but also on assuring a healthier learning environment for the students.
Even though it is commendable the moves taken by the responsible authorities to curb ragging in higher educational institutions, the imposed rules and circulars seem to have little or no effect on the perpetrators who seem to satisfy their sexual and physical frustrations through torture.
Apart from the severe traumas the students are compelled to undergo, that could leave eternal scars on them, ragging directly contributes to the escalating number of student drop-outs. However, this is not a situation that is only inherent to Peradeniya as most of the universities away from Colombo, such as Wayamba and Rajarata too have similar accounts that occasionally come to light.
During the era when ragging was not legally blacklisted, the victims of ragging had a few things in common. Firstly, there was an idea that the students who came from cities and who attended popular schools were singled out and were subject to excessive ragging. They were being addressed in abusive language and more often than not, the errant seniors were from far away villages who seemed to have taken the ‘hard-way’ to get the university admission. While this is often being interpreted as an inferiority complex, it surely reflects their misinformed nature and shortsightedness which made them unable to realize the fact that coming from the cities did not mean those students were born with extra brains or higher memory capacities. Sadly, the 13 years of school education had failed to teach them the fact that it is discipline of an individual that defines his/her quality, not his/her history, social connections and whereabouts.
The statement of the Vice Chancellor gives a possible hint that the academic staff and the authorities have very little control over the violence exercised within the university premises. One cannot blame them for their reluctance as the recent incident in Rajarata University showed what the so-called brains are really capable of. However, they cannot simply wipe their eyes and let it pass as another unfortunate incident; by being complacent about it they are contributing to the misfortune. As products of free education, they have an obligation to create the suitable learning environment; for they are being paid salaries to fulfil these duties.
A student walks into a university to walk out with a mature brain, not to lose it in the process of learning. The sadistic individuals who resort to torture innocent students, may have walked into the university without brains inside their heads; as anyone with a right mind will not exercise or support violence prevailing in universities. And that gives very little right for them to be at a place that breeds intellectuals.

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Comments - 2

Esala Thursday, 08 December 2011 03:36 AM

Catch these idiots and put in to jail for life time to learn lesson to other students. (Free education killing)

mnali Thursday, 08 December 2011 07:14 PM

Harsh punishment should be given to seniors or juniors who are involved in so called " RAGGING". V must eliminate this fr campus if v want to streamline our education. If v can git rid of brutal terrorists y cant v get rid of our own idiots? Govt must open their eyes to safe guard the innocent lives of our future generations.

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Ragged truth of ragging

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