Experts & Views
Dear would-be law student, (Ermm‘Teenie weenie’ died of over-use) A few days back, I got a call from a would-be law student’s dad. When he was done with queries regarding the college, the things his son would need, placements etc. he handed the phone over to his son who I could make out, reluctantly, only reluctantly, took it. The conversation ‘Hi’, he said. A reluctant Hi, mind you. ‘How are you’, he said. A reluctant greeting again. The chap was nervous. I was amused. But then a very sure question from his mouth, surprisingly: "How is ragging"? "You don’t need to worry about it at all", I answered smiling. "5 Point Someone"?, he asked. "Sorry"?, (I didn’t get him). "Ermm...Have you read Chetan Bhagat"?, he clarified. "A bit". "Do the things mentioned there happen during ragging"? he asked. The kid was keeping me in good mood. I was amused first, I had smiled before and now I laughed. Five point someone The thing is this: if you are going to make ‘The Five Point Someone’ a Bible for deciding what constitutes ragging, you better be an atheist. Read five point someone for a perspective on ragging and you are a ten point loser. I don’t care if you adore Bhagat or think he is trash. I am not concerned. I am concerned about ragging. Why so serious, son? Now, I am going into a little pedantic mood. Excuse me for that. What is not ragging? If a senior asks you to sing a song, dance, do a pole dance etc. and you consider this to be ragging; you’ll be ragged. Now, this is not ragging. This is interaction. Positive or not; I don’t know. Some would say it demeans the junior. Not really. If it does, then you and I are being demeaned day in and day out by various stakeholders. Being demeaned then should be a habit by now. So here is the verdict: interaction (read singing, cat-walking, pole-dancing) happens and a ‘reasonable’ person ought to take this in his stride. How and why? Read on. Psychology Understand the psyche of such seniors. I did psychology till grade twelve. Even if you haven’t should have heard of ‘peer pressure’. These seniors want to be cool and a part of the ‘in-group’. Secondly they are playing ‘tit-for-tat’. They were made to do to such things and thus they make you do it. They are playing with you. Just like your boss will play with you. Just like he’ll make you do menial tasks because he was made to do menial tasks when he was not the boss. But that is it. Most of them don’t want to harm you. Strategy Now, be reasonable. If you are asked to sing; sing. If you are asked to dance; dance. They aren’t judging you for a competition. So don’t be conscious or shy. If you feel uncomfortable, do it still. Life makes you to do a lot many uncomfortable things, anyway. These are little, innocuous things. Just do it. Get over with it. Another thing: feign sycophancy. Pretend that you can boot lick till the boot is shiny (just kidding). But still, be humble. I mean pretend that you are a humble guy. Do this with your seniors as you will have to do this with your boss. Don’t be cocky. Cut the red, upright cock’s plume for a while. Cut down the volume of the cock-a-doodle-doos. You will be fine. Taking a stand Do I support this sort of interaction? No. I am all for having fun for a while, getting to know each other and then helping the junior out. But yes, some people will demean you, through words. Let them go on and on. You don’t listen. "Sticks and stones may break my bones But words can never hurt me". Sticks and stones? No. And yes, no one can dare use sticks. I know gory stories that happen. These are sad, and very unfortunate. Its great that a great many voices were raised and action taken. But please don’t take these incidents to be the norm. Nobody will get physical. They won’t even touch you. You can take me on my word. What if they do or try to do so? Most probably they’ll be stopped at the ‘trying’ stage. And even this is a one in hundred cases or less. If they do hit, don’t hit back. You’ll be sacked as will be your senior. It is a lose-lose situation. Instead complain to a senior or the warden. And complain it as loud as possible. Like a wounded cock. Fear no one. The senior who did hit you (took you by the collar?) or tried to do so will be punished real bad. Some 20 thousand rupees fine will be slashed, letters sent to his mom and dad or even an expulsion. He might even be put in a correctional home. I mean ‘Jail’. And people hate jails. All thanks to the rules on ragging have really hardened in the last couple of years. Its fun. Really. Someone may ask you to ‘moot’ on some problem. That happened to us. It is a law school, after all. I also did recite some Hindi poem when I told them that by hobbies included poetry. And yes, we were made to do some Indian army style marching, some Western pole dancing. All this was fun. Some of those ‘raggers’ are now very good friends. And regarding sticks and stones and ragging, I’ll leave it to Chetan Bhagat. That happens in his books. Not here. You know, he needs some masala for his books. Just kidding. Yours reassuringly, LegalPoet
PS 1- The recent definition of ragging is very wide and includes causing mental and psychological harm etc. Someone in IITD tells me how their seniors ran away from the first years fearing that they might accidentally rag their juniors. Ha! Food for thought for Bhagat.
PS 2- I think that is about it for this series? Or do you have any topic in mind? Please do suggest.
Some related posts
17 things that hit you in an NLU. How to prepare.
ABCs of an NLU. A is for Adjusting.
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i have far more respect for the seniors who refrained from this.
and most seniors at law schools do remain within the limits, you need not worry bout that. the eccentric ones are controlled by his friends themselves :)
law school is fun, so is the initial interaction (no sarcasm intended)
Well, anyways, I really dont find anything wrong wid dis sort of "demeaning" as someone said...Tis just a pole-dance and some singing both of which I am very bad at,so,probably I will be stopped as soon as I begin!!!
This was one post which I had been waiting for since, my name appeared in the merit list.. So, I rushed to LI to read this, as soon as I saw your update on Facebook.. :D
But why do you give these kids a false sense of security? Why don't you tell them how about 15 students were almost killed when we made them pee into the cess pool and dipped a live wire in the pool? How about the certain real life version of Bihari Babu whose sweaty shirtless hug caused a mini Bhopal tragedy to some Teenie Weenies last year? How about that time when Chetan Bhagat's coke bottles were used, only with the difference that they were smeared in Chilly paste? What about that time when we made them work as rikshaw pullers for a full week? What about that boy we made go to Sona Gachi at the middle of the night to get himself some action?
Kids, just kidding. None of these ever happened even in my wildest nightmares. Law school is fun. Make friends with your seniors. They matter a lot, even more than most of your teachers in law school. If you are spoil-sports who cry when asked to sing, your seniors will just leave you alone, which means you miss out on the most important part of the learning experience in law school.
One point Poet has not addressed is the case of seniors offering you alcohol, cigarettes, etc. It is a fact that these are consumed by many in the law schools. I think it is a matter of personal choice. There are just one in a thousand cases where you will be asked to smoke/drink as a part of the interaction. If you are offered and do not wish to accept, please make it clear in unambiguous terms rather than crying about it later. No one is going to hurt you because your habits are different from theirs.
Good luck for law school. Great work poet.
This is not to suggest that you should go along with an interaction that is not "positive".
As the Great One has said in his post, the standard is that of a "reasonable man" (a guy who you will keep meeting often in the course of your study of law. And law does not recognise a "reasonable woman" as the same would be an oxymoron - just kidding.)
Looking forward to many more...
Has anyone got any topic in mind...for this series?
(tnx also now dat i can come prepared wid a few dances....wich i m nt particularly gud at!!!!!)
In your dreams... patience guys. no short cuts to senior girls. And its not like the weighted sex ratio [...] is too high that senior boys will take lightly to transgression into their territories.
23, I don't moot. Am sorry.
All that is left is adding rotten eggs in the cess pool. There is lot of time, we will manage.
We have invited Chetan Bhagat to deliver a small talk before the first Session begins. Nice chap, seems to have some progressive ideas on positive interaction.
Some sort of informal hierarchy?
It's just that I believe Legal Poet is trying to bring out similarities between life after law school and the ragging in law school! It should not be construed in a rigid and literal manner! I would like to add that 'Positive Interaction' is merely a way of getting to know each other, and in most cases, ends up being just that. And as LP has pointed out, some of your best friends among seniors in Law School turn out to be those with whom you have had some form of 'Positive Interaction'.
@31: ROTFLMAO!!!! We should indeed get the cess pool ready!
@ LP: Great Job once again, bro!
34, that they are young and that their concept of having fun is different from a 50 year old.
35, Thank you DB7-HS17...weird name :P
apprehension or fear or shame or embarrassment to that student and includes-
(i) teasing, abusing or paying practical jokes on, or causing hurt to, such student; or
(ii) asking a student to do any act or perform something which such student will not, in the ordinary course willingly, do."
To make it clear, 'positive interaction' of the kind Legal Poet has suggested will NOT be tolerated.
Under Section 4 of the above Act, the penalty for ragging is fixed thus: "Whoever commits, participates in, abets or propagates ragging within, or without, any educational institution shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment
for a term which may extent to two years and shall also be liable to a fine which may extent to ten thousand rupees."
It is proposed that ragging will be made a cognizable and non-bailable offence by an amendment to the Act which will be moved next week.
NUALS follows a zero-tolerance policy towards ragging. I am there and I will be watching.
Best wishes to all those who are joining NUALS. You are welcome here.
Yeah.. YOUR blog
Awesome truly
I am amazed as hell!
Where do YOU get this sort of maniac writing which latches onto our nerves and releases only after an hour or two.
Excellent Writing. I WILL love that sort of ragging.
Omg.. I am excited as hell.
Did i say u rock?
P.S.- Change the pic!!!!!
Which col are you joining?
And why??? Why should I change the pic?
Technically I cant jump into a Coll. right now
Next year for sure
Oh the pic is good... but.. but... something better to support your name!
if you act politely and not be cocky, they will really open up. now, after three months, i can really say that i belong here (without going through the ritual of ragging).
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