Ragging in Sri Lanka - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ragging

Ragging is a practice in educational institutions in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that involves existing students baiting or bullying new students. It is similar to the American phenomenon of hazing. It often takes a malignant form wherein the newcomers may be subjected to psychological or...

is a verbal

Verbal abuse

Verbal abuse is best described as a negative defining statement told to you or about you; or by withholding any response thus defining the target as non-existant...

, physical

Physical abuse

Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...

or psychological abuse

Psychological abuse

Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder...

on newcomers to educational institutions. It is similar to the American phenomenon known as hazing

Hazing

Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....

. Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

is said to be its worst affected country in the world.

History

There is no record to prove such an act has prevailed in the ancient Sri Lankan educational institutions such as Mahavihara

Mahavihara

The Mahavihara was for several centuries the center of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was founded by king Devanampiya Tissa in his capital Anuradhapura. The Mahavihara was the place where Theravadin orthodoxy was established by monks such as Buddhaghosa...

or Abhayagiri Vihara. It was in the post World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

era, a concept called ragging came into existence. Ragging is not an indigenous phenomenon, but a direct result of the British colonialism

British Ceylon

British Ceylon refers to British rule prior to 1948 of the island territory now known as Sri Lanka.-From the Dutch to the British:Before the beginning of the Dutch governance, the island of Ceylon was divided between the Portuguese Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy, who were in the midst of a war for...

in Sri Lanka. Soldiers returning from war re-entered the college and brought with them the technique of ragging learned in military camp. These techniques were used to make individual fail as an individual and succeed as a team. But eventually when lesser number of military persons entered the universities, ragging lost in primary objectives and became a violent and hazardous exercise.

Present State

Ragging continues to happen in most government universities and several private institutions. In majority of the cases, ragging implies that seniors mocking and jesting at freshers. There is a certain period of time, usually the first few months in the university, assigned for each and every undergraduate to undergo ragging. This period is known as the ragging period. In Sri Lanka, several types of ragging can be observed.

Introduction

Inception of ragging can be pleasant at first, hence the name Mal Samaya. During this week or so, all newcomers are ordered to memorize the name and hometown of their peers. The objective of this exercise is said to be increasing the friendship among batch mates (locally termed as batch fit).

Dress Code Ragging

The freshmen are asked to dress in a specific dress code for a particular period of time. For the dress code prescribed is generally weird, e.g. dressing totally in white or black with the hair oiled and combed in a particular style, dressing shirts that do not contain stripes, dressing long skirts for girls. The dress code ragging may make the freshmen feel awkward and uncomfortable as it often brings them unnecessary attention from everybody else.

Playing the Fool

The freshmen may be asked to do silly things like climbing a tree, kissing a tree, proposing to someone from the opposite sex, holding a hand of someone from opposite sex and walking etc.

Verbal Torture

Verbal torture involves indulging in loose talks. The freshmen may be asked to sing the lyrics of any vulgar song or use abusive language in the presence of a large number of peers. During this time, seniors assign an abusive and demeaning nickname, known as card to the juniors and they have to be called by that name throughout their entire university life. In some universities, this nickname is changed to a less vulgar name after the ragging period. These aliases are used primarily as a means of preventing the university authorities identifying the students who are involved in ragging and other unlawful activities. The form of verbal ragging differs from one institution to another. In some universities, students have to memorize poems made up of filth and recite them in front of others.

Physical Torture

This is the severest form of ragging that could take place in a university. Some seniors are mainly interested in details such as the anatomical description of one’s body parts, his or her sexual interests etc. In many cases, the freshmen have been asked to strip before the seniors. However, sexual abuse of female students remains rare. Outstation students who stay in hostels are most vulnerable to ragging. They may be asked to do odd acts such as having showers several times per day, and having showers around midnight with cold water. Some extreme cases like inserting candles in vaginae (as in the case of Rupa Rathnaseeli), putting testicle

Testicle

The testicle is the male gonad in animals. Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testes are components of both the reproductive system and the endocrine system...

s in a drawer and having it closed, pushing straightened out coat-hangers into ears, striking the penis over a long period of time (termed bonchi kadeema) are also reported. This period of time is termed Bheeshana Samaya in university jargon.

Adverse consequenses of Ragging

Ragging has been frequently associated with a broad spectrum of physical, behavioral, emotional and social problems among the victims. It has independently increased suicide risks in Sri Lankan universities. Each year, dozens of students leave their course due to unbearable ragging they undergo. And a new tendency is emerging as students who complete their GCE Advanced Level examination enter private higher educational institutions where ragging remains minimum, without entering government universities. Ragging is not merely a socio-legal problem. It has a certain psychological basis too. Most of the senior students do not will to rag their juniors. But they also succumb to the peer pressure in the end.

Politics in Ragging

Various academics have pointed out that politics has taken control of the university students’ unions and thus has a direct influence on ragging. This has been proven by the fact that student leaders who are controlling the movements, predominantly the convenors of Inter University Students' Federation

Inter University Students' Federation

Inter University Students' Federation aka anthare is a students' union affiliated to Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna , a Marxist-Leninist political party in Sri Lanka.-Overview:...

have become members of political parties just after they finished their undergradaure course.

Major Incidents

In 1974, ragging of some trainee mathematics teachers at the then Vidyalankara University
University of Kelaniya
The University of Kelaniya is a state university of Sri Lanka. Situated just outside the municipal limits of Colombo, in the ancient and historic city of Kelaniya, the University has two major campuses, seven locations, six faculties and four institutions....

(now University of Kelaniya) prompted Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...

's Government to appoint a one-man, V. W. Kularatne Commission. As a result, twelve undergraduates were expelled and four officials were penalised for their failure to take appropriate action against the ragging. This is the first major step taken against university ragging by a Sri Lankan government.
In 1975, University of Peradeniya
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...

was the first University in Sri Lanka to report a ragging related death when a 22 year old student of the Faculty of Agriculture, Rupa Rathnaseeli became paralyzed as a result of having jumped from the second floor of the hostel Ramanathan Hall to escape the physical ragging being carried out by the seniors. It was reported that she was about to have a candle inserted in her vagina just before she had jumped out of the hostel building. She committed suicide in 1997
In 1993, Chaminda Punchihewa, a student of University of Ruhuna
University of Ruhuna
The University of Ruhuna is a university in Matara, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1978 and is organized in seven faculties. The faculties of Engineering and Medicine are in Galle.-History:...

, died as a result of ragging.
Prasanga Niroshana, a student from Hakmana, died as a result of unbearable ragging he underwent at Schools of Agriculture, Angunakolapallassa.
In 1997, 21 year old S. Varapragash, an Engineering student of University of Peradeniya
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...

, died from a kidney failure following severe ragging by senior students
A girl, also a first year student - in the University of Ruhuna
University of Ruhuna
The University of Ruhuna is a university in Matara, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1978 and is organized in seven faculties. The faculties of Engineering and Medicine are in Galle.-History:...

committed suicide in 1997 as she was unable to bear ragging by her senior students
Kelum Thushara Wijetunge, a first year student at the Hardy Technical institute in Ampara, died in 1997, from a kidney failure after he was forced to do some tough exercises and drink excessive quantities of liquor as a part of ragging
In 2002, Samantha Vithanage
Samantha Vithanage
Ovitigala Vithanage Samantha aka Samantha Vithanage was a third year Management student of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, pioneered an anti-ragging campaign, who was killed on 7 November 2002 while in a discussion to stop the brutal practice of ragging in the faculty...

, a third year Management student at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka...

, pioneered an anti-ragging campaign was killed at a meeting while in a discussion about ragging
In 2006, Prof.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

Chandima Wijebandara, the Vice Chancellor of University of Sri Jayewardenepura
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka...

resigned from his post due to an incident related to ragging. Professor has asked students to completely eliminate ragging from the university. Although the students promised to stop the abuse, they failed to keep the promise, which has resulted in the resignation of the Vice Chancellor

Legal Framework

The human rights of citizens of Sri Lanka are protected in terms of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka which is the supreme law in the country. According to this Constitution, any citizen can produce a petition to the Supreme Court in terms of the article 126 of the Constitution in case of a human right violation or a case closer to the infringement. The Constitution further highlights ruthless, brutal or contemptuous treatment to any party by another as a violation of human rights. University students are also considered as citizens and are subjugated to the Common Law that prevails in the country. Accordingly, the constitutional constrains specified above are equally applicable to university students. Any form of civil or criminal offence executed by them are liable to be punished and in an instance of violation of such rights committed by university students, they shall be produced before the relevant Court and subject to suitable punishment that followed by the trial. After the series of ragging-related incidents happened in 1997, Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998 was passed in the Sri Lankan parliament. As specified in the detailed note of the Act, it is identified as an Act to eliminate ragging and other forms of violent and cruel inhuman and degrading treatment from educational institutions. The Act specifies the relevant Higher Educational Institutions coming under the Act and that includes all the Higher Educational Institutions established under the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978.

Anti-ragging movement

Unlike in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, there is no official anti-ragging movement in Sri Lanka. But with the situation of ragging worsening yearly, there is a self emerging an anti-ragging movement in each and every faculty of the university that ragging exists. In the case of University of Peradeniya

University of Peradeniya

The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...

, the largest university in Sri Lanka, anti-ragging movement has emerged in the year 1996. Prior to that, there was no movement against ragging, but certain individuals who escaped from the rag. In the mean time, anti-ragging movements started to appear in all other universities. Several faculties in several universities have become rag-free due to these movements, strengthened laws as well as practical difficulties in conducting ragging such as not providing accommodation facilities to the first year students. Internal clashes have erupted several times due to the friction between ragging and anti-ragging movements, best example being Samantha Vithanage

Samantha Vithanage

Ovitigala Vithanage Samantha aka Samantha Vithanage was a third year Management student of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, pioneered an anti-ragging campaign, who was killed on 7 November 2002 while in a discussion to stop the brutal practice of ragging in the faculty...

, a third year Management student at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the Universities in Sri Lanka. It is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, near Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka...

, who pioneered an anti-ragging campaign was killed at a meeting while in a discussion about ragging. The Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake

S. B. Dissanayake

Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Sumanaweera Banda Dissanayake, MP is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the current Cabinet Minister of Higher Education in President Mahinda Rajapakse's Government...

has stressed that firm action will be taken against those who are found guilty of such activities in future and would be expelled from the university.

External links

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