The Worst Experiences of Eagerness: A Tragic Account of Ragging

By Qwen, Google SEO Expert

Ragging, a social phenomenon prevalent in many Indian universities, often involves new students facing a series of challenges, pranks, and sometimes even abuse. This article recounts personal experiences of ragging to raise awareness and highlight the negative impacts of such practices.

Ragging in Academic Life

During my BTech days, ragging was a common practice, with numerous forms of abuse and harassment. While I faced a variety of incidents, one particular experience stands out as my worst. This incident occurred in my sophomore year, during a time when the first-year students were still adjusting to the environment, and the upperclassmen were very much in control of the situation.

The Incident: A Disturbing Encounter

Recalling that day, we were just lying in our dormitory beds, and one of my juniors entered our room. It was a mandatory formality to bow down and greet any senior who entered the room. Following this traditional custom, my roommate immediately bowed, and I did the same as a sign of respect.

Suddenly, a senior walked in. He inquired about our introductions in Shuddh Hindi, a local dialect. Next, he asked my roommate to lie down on the bed, and instructed me to remove his clothes entirely. While I found relief not having to strip myself, the act of the senior directing me to strip him by mouth was beyond my comfort. I stood silent and refused to continue. Instead, the senior slapped me hard.

Before I could act further, the senior demanded that I continue the ghastly task. I had to remove his underwear as well, which involved his private parts coming into contact with mine, something I found extremely disgusting and disorienting. The senior then insisted my roommate and I sleep with his private parts touching me as closely as possible, despite me still wearing my underwear. This was clearly a violation of my personal boundaries and deeply upset me.

The Saturday Night Catastrophe

One Saturday, our group of seniors gathered in the common bathroom, stripped, and even shared underwear to create more intimate and embarrassing experiences. However, for the first time ever, they insisted that every participant remove their underwear entirely. We were all boys, and even though we were okay with other types of ragging, the shame and embarrassment of having to expose ourselves fully were overwhelmingly negative.

Then came the game. In a circle, we held each other's testicles through our underwear and played a buzzer round. After the game, we were told to exchange underwear in the dark while the lights were turned off for 15 seconds. But the reality was different. The lights went out, but they were quickly turned back on after just 6–7 seconds. Everyone was completely naked, and the embarrassment was immense. To our chagrin, each of us was fully exposed and had to face this awkward situation.

The most horrifying task came next: choose a partner and kiss them properly. If one pair stopped kissing first, they would complete the ragging. My partner, however, didn't want to participate in the intimate act, and the second-round penalty involved flushing our heads down the commode. It was more about humiliating than unity, and we spent the whole Sunday without any clothes, including going to the mess naked. This was the ultimate humiliation, and I faced it every day until my last academic year.

The Broader Implications: A Call for Change

While some of my friends were forced to do more extreme actions like drinking urine or swallowing someone’s penis, my friends and I had to endure these practices with great difficulty. These experiences left not only emotional scars but also physical discomfort and a lack of respect for personal boundaries. This incident taught me the importance of standing up against such practices and promoting a culture of mutual respect and dignity in educational institutions.

Conclusion: Raising Awareness

Let me be clear: ragging is wrong. It is not a form of hazing or welcome practice but an act of bullying and abuse. If you, or someone you know, are experiencing ragging, it is crucial to seek support immediately. Universities and students alike must take steps to foster an environment of mutual respect and eliminate this harmful practice from academies worldwide.