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Bhopal institute orders probe after juniors allegedly forced to watch porn, dance to vulgar songs
A Supreme Court report says college authorities seldom report even extreme cases to police, fearing such steps could tarnish the institute’s image.
The National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal has ordered a probe after senior students allegedly forced the freshmen to watch porn clips, simulate sex with trees and dance to vulgar tunes this July as part of a rampant campus bullying tradition called ragging.
Raj Kachroo, the founder of University Grants Commission-recognised national anti-ragging helpline (NARH), said: “The attitude of the NLIU administration is irresponsible and unreasonable. The (institute’s) director told me that students watch porn, so what if they are forced to.”
He was seeking a reply after the anti-ragging helpline received a complaint. In two weeks, the NARH got three separate complaints against at least 14 seniors.
The administration refused comments and director SS Singh could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Kachroo said: “When we forwarded two other complaints in which the charges became more serious, they asked us to reveal the names of complainants. They refused to take action on anonymous complaints. How can they do so? I am distressed by his attitude.”
The complainants are hardly 17 or 18 years old and they are scared of their seniors and the administration, he said.
Kachroo believes the complaints are genuine and the authorities should ensure a safe environment for the freshmen. But “they are now trying to mount pressure” on the junior students, he said.
A professor of the institute tried to reason that the complainants have to record their statement so that action against the seniors could be taken.
But the junior students fear the seniors will be emboldened if no action is taken and the bullying might get extreme.
NLIU registrar Ravi Pandey said: “The matter is probed by the institute’s proctorial board … I can’t say anything before the probe is finished.”
Ragging is common across college campuses in India, a British legacy brought from its elite public schools. But extreme harassment exists in equal parts despite state governments enacting anti-ragging laws.
Efforts to curb the menace, which sometimes turn fatal or drive students to suicide, have proven ineffective. A Supreme Court report says college authorities seldom report even extreme cases to police, fearing such steps could tarnish the institute’s image.
Kachroo is the father of 19-year-old Aman, a first-year student at a medical college in Himachal Pradesh, who was persistently ragged by seniors and brutally beaten to death in March 2009. The death spurred him to open the helpline.
