Are ‘careers’ more important than lives?

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Shivam Vij

Eight years after the Supreme Court of India first banned ragging, Dande Devender Kumar has died of it. It is suspected he committed suicide by jumping onto the railway tracks, adding to the list of those who chose to die rather than live the humiliation of ragging. After hanging oneself on the ceiling fans, dying on the railway tracks is the second most favourite choice of ragging victims.Kumar also left a suicide note.

Kumar was a student of Vasavi Engineering College, Hyderabad, whose administration consoled his parents thus:

When his parents reported the matter to the college and threatened to file a police complaint, the college authorities allegedly begged them not to as it would spoil the careers of those involved. [CNN-IBN]

As for the parents:

“He had been complaining for long. We hoped that the college authorities would take note of it but it did not happen.” [The Hindu]

But what were the parents doing?

News reports: CNN-IBN, The Hindu, Times of India, Press Trust of India, The New Indian Express, ANI

Filed under: 2008-09, Andhra Pradesh, ragging deaths | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

How raggers deal with difference, or don’t

Posted on June 9, 2009 by Shivam Vij

Tanvir Aeijaz writes from his experience of being part of the sub-committee of the Raghavan Committee that prepared a fact-finding report on the Aman Kachroo case for the Supreme Court:

…not all but some juniors are targeted, as they are perceived as weak, vulnerable and pliant maybe in terms of gender, religion, caste, class and ethnicity. In the case of Aman, it was between modernity and local conservatism. Aman was smart, good looking, having a charismatic personality (won many prizes in the college academic and cultural activities) and, above all, he used to speak English with a tinge of accent (he studied abroad for sometime). All these qualities, particularly the last one, made him vulnerable and weak in the eyes of local goon-students. Being modern and progressive, I realised during my discussion with the medicos there, has its own flip-side, so much so that it renders the putative ‘support structures’ of modern civilised society ‘attack-structures’ for those who dare to think and do things against the conservative mores, culture and lifestyles. [Link]

Filed under: 2008-09, Himachal Pradesh, ragging deaths, research and opinion | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

‘Dreadful Ragging at P. C. Chandra School of Business, Kolkata’: Anisha Shekhar

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Shivam Vij

Sir/Madam,

I am writing this letter on behalf of myself (Ms. Anisha Shekhar) and my two friends Mr. Raja Nandy and Mr. Abhijit Das. We were first year MBA students at P. C. Chandra School of Business[ PCCSB], Kolkata, affiliated to Punjab Technical University [PTU] from September 2008 to January 2009. All three of us had to leave the institute due to unbearable mental agony and physical torture inflicted on us by our seniors as part of Ragging.

All the juniors were subjected to harsh ragging by seniors. The principal offenders are Bitopan Borah (Roll No.: 720824005), Joydev Shah (720824012), Debanuj Borah (720824008), Subhankar Pal (810824005). Juniors were often asked to strip their clothes and then lighted cigars were thrown on their bare bodies. The four seniors mentioned above often landed in girl’s hostel (near 1A market, salt lake) in inebriated state. Raja Nandy was punched in the eye by Joydev Shaw. Some juniors including Abhijit Das, was hit and poked with iron sticks in their private areas.

Other forms of Ragging going on at PCCSB are:

· Juniors were asked and made to answer vulgar questions.

· Juniors were forced to drink country liquor.

· Juniors were coerced to do acts with sexual overtones.

· Juniors were forced to look at pornographic movies & pictures.

Complaining to college authorities about these perverted acts was in vain, and they turned a deaf ear to our complaints. The then Administrative officer Mr. Gautam Dan & Admission officer Mr. Jitendra Gadhvi, threatened juniors not to disclose anything about the ragging to outsiders, including PTU officials.

Mr. S. Banik, Director, PCCSB mentioned that all PTU officials are corrupt, so there is no point raising the issue to PTU. Mr. S. Banik even commented to our parents that he has paid around Rs 1,00,000/- in cash to Mr. Gautam Banerjee, Regional Head, PTU for marketing purposes of UCPL Group.

Later, we came to know that PCCSB takes donation (around Rs 50,000/-) from the rich students who involve themselves in ragging. So the college is not in a position to take action against offenders.

We have lost one academic year and have paid Rs 74,000/- (Rs 20,000 + Rs 54,000/-) as fees. We have made subsequent requests to the present Administrative officer, Mr Biswajit Sen to refund a portion of our course fees, but without any response.

PCCSB is bringing disgrace to the esteemed PTU. Kindly take appropriate action from your end against the offenders mentioned in this letter and also against PCCSB authorities, according to the National Anti-Ragging Act, to stop recurrence of such incidents in future.

If needed after proper investigation, consider disaffiliating P. C. Chandra School of Business [LC : 824] for failing to curb ragging and non-compliance to university rules and regulations.

It may hereby be mentioned that we are soon going to start appropriate legal action (both civil and criminal) against PCCSB, with PTU being made a party.

Yours sincerely,

ANISHA SHEKHAR

Filed under: 2008-09, girls ragging, letters and petitions | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Raghavan panel blames alcoholism in Aman Kachroo case, Centre promises online helpline

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Shivam Vij

Working on helpline for ragging victims: Centre

The Hindu, Legal Correspondent, 21 April 2009

Amann’s father suggested creation of an anti-ragging database: Centre

Government plans to put in place the mechanism in about a week

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has began work on developing a model for the crisis-centre helpline to enable ragging victims across the country to seek immediate help.

Amicus curiae and Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) Gopal Subramaniam gave this information before a Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and A.K. Ganguly hearing petitions relating to cases of ragging in Dr. Rajendra Prasad government Medical College, Himachal Pradesh, and College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, in Andhra Pradesh.

The two cases were referred to the R.K. Raghavan Committee, which submitted its report to the court. The ASG said the recent incidents of ragging — one in Coimbatore and the other in Goa — had also been referred to the Committee for probe.

The ASG, in his status report, referred to the Raghavan Committee’s findings and said the father of Amann Kachroo had sent a proposal to the government on creating an anti-ragging database.

Mr. Gopal Subramaniam said: “Amann’s father [Dr. Rajendra Kachroo] suggested creation of a database of students and ragging complaints, which will ensure effective monitoring and prevention of ragging. This methodology also involves setting up a crisis-centre hotline, wherein students affected by ragging can call for help.”

The ASG said that “the Ministry of HRD has already commenced work on developing a model for the crisis-centre helpline and the anti-ragging database. The Ministry has sought the assistance of Educational Consultants India Ltd. as a consultant in this project.” He said the government proposed to put in place the mechanism in about a week.

Mr. Gopal Subramaniam said the Ministry, in consultation with the UGC, the MCI, the AICTE and other similar regulatory bodies should set up a central crisis-hotline and anti-ragging database in the manner suggested by Dr. Rajendra Kachroo to the Raghavan Committee and the UGC. “Once the database/crisis hotline is operative, State governments should amend their anti-ragging statutes to include provisions that place penal consequences on institutional heads who do not take timely steps in the prevention of ragging and in punishing those who resort to ragging. .”

Alcoholism

The Raghavan Committee, in its report on the death of Amann, said alcoholism on the campus, failure of college to constitute an anti-ragging squad and implement the recommendations to prevent ragging were the reasons for the incident. It also blamed the MCI for not taking immediate action to put down the menace.

The court posted the matter for Thursday asking the Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh governments to file their response to the report.

Similar reports:


SC ordered Centre to setup anti-ragging website Read more »

Filed under: 2008-09, Ragging and the Law | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Full text: Amicus Curae’s appeal for directions from the SC in the Aman Kachroo case

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Shivam Vij

(This is the full text of the affidavit which led to the SC asking the Raghavan Committee to inquire into the Aman Kachroo case.)

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

I.A. No. _____ OF 2009

IN

CIVIL APPEAL No. 887 OF 2009

IN THE MATTER OF:

University of Kerala      …Appellant

Versus

Council of Principals of Colleges & Others   …Respondents

AND IN THE MATTER OF:

A.A. Rahim        …Appellant

Versus

Council of Principals of Colleges & Others   …Respondents

AN APPLICATION FOR DIRECTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE AMICUS CURIAE

It is respectfully submitted: Read more »

Filed under: 2008-09, Ragging and the Law | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

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