Ragging in universities has been discussed as an equaliser that brings students from all walks of life to an equal platform. Some, therefore, believe that a bit of ragging doesn’t cause harm unless it goes out of hand and turns violent.
Sri Lanka has seen many fatalities as a result of ragging and several universities have been in the forefront of eliminating it for good. For the past few decades, ragging was a systematic tool of oppression for subservience of juniors by seniors and has been criticised for being a cat’s paw of political parties to fulfill ulterior motives.
Many are instances when innocent ragging became violent, destroying students’ lives.
Students’ views
A student who passed out from the Social Science Faculty at the University of Kelaniya said ragging can be tolerated when it is not severe. Naminda Chandrasekara, who passed out in 2016 says she was asked to do simple things like sing a song or dance, but for the boys, things have been quite different.
“Our boys, especially those in hostels, had some bad experiences. I don’t exactly know what they went through, but I heard that it was more severe than for the girls,” she said.
“Ragging is fun as long as it has humour attached to it. But it should not be taken too far,” she added.
Another student [name withheld] from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura said ragging brings all students down to the same level. “Students come from different backgrounds and ragging is done to make everyone equal and socialise because we have to spend several years at the university,” she said.
She is a shy person by nature but she says she had to do what the seniors said. “When our seniors ask us to do something, we have to obey them. They make fun out of us and isolate us if we refuse. But, I think mild ragging is okay as everyone gets to know each other,” she added.
However, Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena, Vice Chancellor and Senior Professor in Paediatrics of the University of Ruhuna, shot down beliefs that ragging can be an equaliser.
Equaliser
“This is a misconception. People need to be made equal by giving equal opportunities, not by ragging and getting someone to wear a uniform. Also, elite students hardly undergo ragging as they spend little time in the university and most are not involved in university activities.
They come by car and leave after lectures. Those from rural areas who have to be in the university premises and hostels are the ones being ragged. If someone refuses to be ragged, they are discriminate against. All seniors are responsible in some way if ragging is going on in their university; maybe as active raggers, aiders or passive observers,” Prof. Amarasena said.
He said ragging has been in universities from the beginning but has taken different forms. Sometimes it is mild but many incidents are violent and traumatic. Prof. Amarasena said it is a tool to further political objectives.
“Ragging now remains a violent, traumatic, uncultured, uncivilised and politically-organised phenomenon. It is organised by student unions connected to the Inter University Students Federation. This is connected to political parties. In the past, this was all under the JVP and they are responsible for ragging for the last 40 years, except in Faculties where it has no control over such as the Medical and Science Faculties. Now the Frontline Socialist Party controls all faculties in all universities,” he said.
Written protocols
The Vice Chancellor added that there are written protocols for different kinds of ragging and passed down from seniors to juniors. For example, Kehelkan banawa is ragging for boys in hostels where they have to cover themselves in a sarong from top to bottom and climb down the stairs for about five floors. Some perceive this to be funny but for the victim, it is traumatic as he could accidently fall, be injured or die.
“Another incident happened when a student broke his skull and damaged the brain when seniors threw a tyre at him. He became permanently disabled,” the Vice Chancellor said.
More incidents have been reported from time to time when ragging became sexual harassment, inhumane punishments and abuse. Prof. Amarasena said this kind of ragging amounts to terrorism since ragging terrorises the innocent with serious mental and/or physical injury or death. Ragging depersonalises an individual, tarnishing the identity and character, he added.
Victims lose their freedom to think and act due to the fear psychosis. Prof. Amarasena said university students are expected to become free thinkers and should be encouraged to express their views.
“Students become obedient servants to a political force because of ragging. This is what political parties want. They force students to collect money for them and fight for their political cause as they are trained during ragging to follow instructions.”
Ovitigala Samantha died almost 20 years ago for opposing ragging. Deaths occur directly and indirectly as a result of ragging. Suicides also occur which are not accounted for. Many leave university prematurely and others do not enter university at all due to ragging, resulting in the loss of intellectuals for the country.
Politically influenced
Prof. Amarasena added that the JVP and the Frontline Socialist Party have studied the impact of ragging and used it to their benefit.
“After the JVP transformed into a political party, they systematically changed the ragging process, understanding the science behind converting people. The ragging system was established for their benefit, from till campaigns to rallies and so on. I calculated in 2019, that their till campaign brought about Rs. 9 million a month. The JVP’s political survival is dependent on this money,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor added that there were instances when members of student unions steal money from these campaigns. “We had such an incident where a student union president stole Rs. 500,000 and he was charged. Likewise, they abuse their power.
They are against me because I don’t allow any political party to dominate in my university. I have been targeted and attacked for 25 years by the JVP for opposing their conduct. They have large benefits due to ragging which is why they don’t want to stop it,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor, said that since his appointment in 2019, he had systematically eliminated ragging from the Ruhuna University. It had been a meticulous process of evidence gathering, educating, engineering and implementation.
“I motivated my staff, both academic and non-academic, against ragging. I told them about the incidents of ragging. One instance was when a student was asked to urinate into an electric plug which was switched on. He was electrocuted instantly and had to use a catheter to pass urine, thereafter. I don’t know what happened to him in later life, whether he was married or have children.
I told these stories to my staff and they supported to eliminate ragging at Ruhuna. The raggers resisted this and once they assaulted our security staff. With this, we informed the police. The culprits were identified and law was enforced.
“I informed all students that the minimum punishment for ragging was sacking, not just suspension. I implemented this with the top leaders of the Union. With this we successfully eliminated ragging. The last incident of violence in the Ruhuna University was on July 8, 2019. The Frontline Socialist Party had to move their headquarters from Ruhuna to Sri Jayewardenepura University.
All evidence of ragging was exposed and published. Our success was because we openly admitted that there was ragging, that we were perpetrators and something needs to be done. I apologised from the civil society for having it in the past. The historical error was corrected. We are proud that Ruhuna is free of ragging now,” Prof. Amarasena said.
Alternatives
Since the concept of ragging was initiated as a socialising mechanism, students should be introduced to other means of bonding that do not inflict pain on others. These could be in the form of friendly get-togethers, parties, sporting events and other entertainment where everyone would have fun as opposed to one party being abused.
A study conducted by the Sir John Kotelawala Defence University recommends more such bonding activities including leadership camps, excursions, fresher’s club, talent shows, talk sessions and so on, to divert students’ attention from ragging and create a friendly university environment.
Ragging does not break the ice, but rather breaks lives. With the elimination of this menace in higher education, students would have a more enabling and safe learning atmosphere to contribute with a healthy body and mind to the country’s development.