Ragging A Barbarous Practice; Should Be Abolished: Gujarat HC [Read Judgment]

“It [Ragging] has become a wide-spread virulent disease prevalent in all educational institutions and more in the Professional colleges and hostels. It causes deep sorrow and anguish that in a country which had very lofty University ideals expounded in the Vedas, this shameful and disgusting evil of ragging degenerating into bestiality should come to stay in the educational institutions, which are intended for imparting knowledge to the future rulers of this country.”

Terming ragging a ‘barbarous practice’, the Gujarat High Court has observed that if anybody is found guilty of ragging, he shall be immediately expelled from the institution and debarred from entering any other educational institution thereafter.

Justice JB Pardiwala, while dismissing a plea filed by a student of Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research & Management challenging the disciplinary action taken against him, implored the state government to take steps to bring about legislation preventing ragging and making it a cognizable offence.

Finding that the student was involved in ragging some junior students in the institute, he was discontinued by way of punishment from all the academic activities for the current academic year and will be permitted to continue with the academics with the academic year 2019- 20. Challenging this decision, he had approached the high court.

The sooner ragging is abolished by an appropriate legislation, the better

Rejecting his plea, Justice Pardiwala observed: ““Having come to the educational institution to learn and pave the way for a bright future, it is unfortunate that the students indulge in such activities and satiate their sadist instincts in the name of ragging. There seems to be a misapprehension among some sections of the students that ragging is a way of training the new entrants to the institution to face the difficulties in life later. There cannot be a more absurd view than that. In several cases, the students get mental shock and depression by ragging and there are instances of the victims of ragging committing suicide. Even assuming without admitting that some of the victims of ragging will be bold enough to face difficulties in life later, end cannot justify the means. The sooner the ragging is abolished by appropriate legislation, the better”.

Why no legislation in Gujarat?

The court also observed that, “It appears that in a number of States, there are acts making ragging a cognizable offence and prescribing the types of punishment to be awarded. Why there is no such legislation in the State of Gujarat? It is high time that such a legislation was passed by the legislature of Gujarat also.”

Ragging was totally unknown in this country

The judge also referred to Vedas and quoted from Taittiriyopanishad and said that ragging was totally unknown in this country, and was imported. He said: “Ragging was totally unknown in this country. It is not known how, when and who imported it into this country. It has been in vogue if at all for the past few decades. Before that it was not heard of. But, it has become a wide-spread virulent disease prevalent in all educational institutions and more in the Professional colleges and hostels. It causes deep sorrow and anguish that in a country which had very lofty University ideals expounded in the Vedas, this shameful and disgusting evil of ragging degenerating into bestiality should come to stay in the educational institutions, which are intended for imparting knowledge to the future rulers of this country. Taittiriyopanishad describes the rules to be observed by a good student. He prays to the Supreme Being to give him able and active body, sweet tongue and make him listen abundently through his ears and learn.”