The Demise of Ragging

So that's it huh? No more ragging in our colleges. Life on campus will never be the same. Another great tradition killed because we dont keep our limits. Generations will now grow up without this priceless experience.
 
I favor the Supreme Court decision because ragging has been abused beyond limits. But I still believe we need it in our country. It is the only way to foster mental growth in adolescents. Think about the life of the teens in our schools or junior colleges (11th and 12th). Wake up, study, go to school or college, attend private tuitions, finish homework, study, sleep....Unlike other countries where students work parttime and pay  their tutions, our students are encouraged to focus on studies and that alone. No games, no sports, only studies. These poor beings have no interaction with the society. They move in groups of fellow students, usually of the same caliber. In sum, there's no attention paid to personality development, and consequently there is none.

Ragging builds character. When ragged, students are forced to come out of their shells or comfort zones; they are forced to do things they normally avoid, which is a critical step in mental growth. Ragging helps shed inhibitions and fears and builds confidence. For example, a student develops humility when he is forced to address a senior as 'sir'. This also keeps the 'toppers' down-to-earth by making them realize they are just as normal as the next person. Similarly, when a student is forced to approach a girl with a rose, he overcomes his fear of failure. He realizes that getting rejected or snubbed by a girl is not so bad after all. It doesnt kill you or anything. In fact, he learns how to do it better when has has to do it for himself. Even when a bunch of students are forced to strip down to their undies, although distressing initially, it makes them feel more comfortable with their bodies. For those with a good physique, it builds confidence, and for those without one, it pushes them to start working out. And you cant deny that ragging develops a naughty side in even the most studious and sincere students, without which they will be terrible bores. After the initial terror of ragging subsides, it paves way for great networking opportunities. Imagine the number of people that would not meet if there was no ragging. Surely such acquiantances wil be useful one time or the other.

Banning ragging is not the end. It's the beginning. Educational institutions must now find other effective ways to foster psychological growth in students. There should be more opportunities for students to socialize. And herein lies the rub. Regardless of how many such opportunities are offered, students can pass them up. An introvert would be too shy to attend, a rich student might feel it below his standards, a studious one thinks this is a waste of time and so on. And this is why ragging worked so well: it wasnt optional, it was compulsory. Whether you liked it or not, you had to step forward and follow orders. And I dont think our educational system is anywhere close to finding a safer alternative to ragging.

So now that we've killed ragging, be prepared for a generation of socially challenged and psychologically imbalanced geniuses that will soon pour out of our colleges.