EVERY year thousands of students get admission to medical and dental colleges. Quite a few of them get college or university accommodation where a number of their senior fellows harass and bully the newcomers.

The senior students, despite having no authority, forcibly make the new students perform certain embarrassing tasks, which is not acceptable at all. It is beneficial to interact with junior students and ask about their medical test journey, but giving them silly tasks only to humiliate them is condemnable and illogical.

Studying for a degree in medicine is not an ordinary task. It requires hard work, healthy discussions and peace of mind. But the menace of ‘ragging’ by senior students kills precious time of the junior students. They feel depressed and experience mental agony due to such loutish behaviour of senior students on the campus.

Students from underprivileged background who manage to get admission to medical universities on merit are particularly targeted, and they start skipping classes regularly because of the fear of harassment.

Ragging should be banned in all universities, in general, and medical institutions, in particular, to save junior students from mental agony and torture. College/university administrations should take strict disciplinary action against those involved in this illegal act so that the students may feel safe and are able to focus on their studies.

Dr Kanbhoo Khan Mari
Tando Adam

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022