Ragging has raised its ugly head again. A recent incident at a prestigious school has shown that this evil has not yet come to an end. Write an article in 150 - 200 words on ' Ragging, an Evil. You are Navtej/Navita.

• a practice from the British era
• original aim, respect for hierarchy
• enforcing traditions, discipline
• Prefect a teacher substitute
• misuse of authority
• vulgar aspect
• fatalities

                                                       Ragging an Evil
                                                          by Navita

Ragging is a practice that signifies the hailing of a fresher in a barbaric form. It is a damaging form of interaction of the seniors in college or school with the juniors, newcomers or first years. It can be discerned that this habitude has been pursued since 7th or 8th century A.D when it had a different form. Greece, which is a known country for sports, seeded this phenomenon of subjecting the new entrants to the sport community to all kinds of humiliations and teasing to inculcate a team spirit in them. Gradually, this system sustained multiple modifications and was later followed by the military. Unfortunately, it made its way into the education system. It involves a number of uncivilized activities such as insulting, running errands for seniors, and many other complex activities. The best educational institutions in India especially the medical colleges have a history that is stained with traumatic cases of brutal ragging. Ragging was practiced to enforce traditions and discipline fresher into respecting their seniors and the academic hierarchy at such institutions. With time, Ragging has become unpopular due to numerous cases in which the victims are reported to be severely injured. Nowadays, any act that violates a student's self-respect is considered to be ragging. Many strict laws are already framed to counter the same. However, it is observed that this system is still popular in places where the authorities don’t enforce the laws rigidly. Recently, an eleven-year girl died in a tragic incident in Kolkata. She became the victim of the severe traumatic conditions that were coerced upon her by her seniors. She was locked in the bathroom when she failed to get the money that her seniors had asked her to bring. Such practices need to be eradicated from the educational system because they impede the processes of growth and learning at the institutions which are centres of wholesome development. Spreading awareness amidst the student community and the enforcement of lawful action against the supporters of such practices are the only viable solutions to the problem to stop the harmful practice of ragging.