| by Darshani Wimalasuriya
( June 08, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lankan universities are full of violence and human right violations. Ragging has paralysed the university education structure and discipline. A new video reveals the inhuman nature of ragging that occurred at the University of Ruhuna. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClymCgN28sw ). This video contains extremely disturbing graphics and victims are forced to physical and mental violence. This is the reality of the Sri Lankan Universities and unfortunately the University Authorities have not taken any preventable steps to eradicate the brutal ragging.
Ragging and Low Quality of Education
The Education quality of the Sri Lankan universities have dropped significantly over the past two decades. According to the World ranking Sri Lankan universities are now lower than most of the Third World Universities.
World University Ranking 2011
Harvard University – According to the World Ranking number 1
Oxford University -World Ranking number 6
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich -World Ranking number 15
University of Hong Kong -World Ranking number 21
University of Tokyo -World Ranking number 26
Pohang University of Science and Technology South Korea -World Ranking number 28
Peking University China -World Ranking number 37
University of Alexandria Egypt -World Ranking number 147
Moscow State University -World Ranking number 155
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore -World Ranking number 559
Makerere University Uganda -World Ranking number 1062
University of Zimbabwe -World Ranking number 2246
University of Colombo Sri Lanka -World Ranking number 2690
University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka -World Ranking number 2324
University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka -World Ranking number 2615
University of Ruhuna Sri Lanka -World Ranking number 2552
Open University Sri Lanka -World Ranking number 4189
(Ranking Web of World Universities : http://www.webometrics.info/ World University Ranking 2011-2012 : http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html)
Inhuman nature of Ragging
The senior students of the Sri Lankan universities use physical and sexual harassments to control the newcomers. Among the sexual violence forcefully stripping naked, forced masturbation, forced to perform oral or anal sex, sexual act simulation, urinating on victim, inserting pens and candles to the victim’s anus or vagina, smearing tooth paste or marmite in the victims genitals, forcing to wear clothes without undergarments (without panties or jockstraps ) , bucketing or throwing dirty water with animal and human feces, swearing with utter filth, interrogating the victim with thousands of vulgar questions, forced to repeat filthy words or sing filthy songs in front of a group etc. are quite common. Although rape and sodomy are rare the recent reports indicate that these types of extreme form of violence are slowly emerging in the Sri Lankan Universities.
Sri Lanka may be the only country where ragging is used to murder people, particularly University students and school children. In addition to murder there have been a large number of cases of causing deformities, torture, trauma and untold pain of mind. This wickedness, inhuman behaviour and villainy, resorted to by some psychologically deranged University students, has now spread to schools, armed forces, training colleges, technical institutions, religious institutions and generally everywhere in Sri Lanka. (Stop murder by ragging –S B. Buddhadasa)
Ragging is criminal assault
Ragging is a violation of a basic human right protected by the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the supreme law of the country. Any citizen can petition the Supreme Court in terms of Article 126 of the Constitution in case of a human right violation. The Constitution highlights ruthless, brutal or contemptuous treatment to any party by another as a violation of human rights.
Article 126 refers to filing action in the Supreme Court for human rights violations. The Article that also gets transgressed is Article 10 (and others) dealing with fundamental rights.
These Constitutional constraints are equally applicable to those in schools, universities, or elsewhere, irrespective of age. Any civil or criminal offences executed by them are liable to be punished and shall be produced before the relevant court and subject to suitable punishment after a trial and conviction.
It is also a contravention of a specific Act on ragging, passed by the Sri Lanka Parliament, Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act, No. 20 of 1998. The detailed heading specifies that it is an Act to eliminate ragging and other forms of violent and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment from educational institutions:
“Any person who commits or participates in ragging within or outside the educational institution, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and on conviction after summary trial be liable for a term not exceeding two years. The victim shall be paid a compensation of an amount determined by court in respect of the injuries caused to such person.” (Ragging – My Experience Dr Brian Senevirathne)
The University Authorities turn a blind eye to Ragging
The university authorities are turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to brutal ragging in the Sri Lankan Universities and they do not take initiative or leadership to end ragging in their educational institutions. Most of the university professors and lecturers have a past history of ragging and violence in their student days and opposing ragging is morally challenging them. Therefore most of the university authorities do not take effective actions to prevent ragging and violence.
The student political groups use ragging as a weapon to control the new students and to indoctrinate them. There are unspeakable human right violations occurring inside the Sri Lankan universities and many university professors and other authorities maintain silence. Many of the sexual and physical harassments are covered by the university establishment and the general public is unaware of most of the horrible events that occur in these educational institutions. Majority of the university lecturers do not want to get involved in internal politics or to have grudges with the extremist student groups. Sometimes inhuman form of ragging is happening in front of their eyes and still they do nothing to stop it. Many university teachers pretend that they did not see the incident and move away. Only a handful of Western educated academics with their moral upbringing oppose ragging in our universities and they see the ruthless nature and gross human right violation in hazing.
Myths and Facts about Ragging
1) Myth Ragging makes a student bold and prepares us for the difficult circumstances in Life. It makes us strong.
Fact : Boldness as instilled by ragging is a weak acceptance of fate by victims. It teaches us how to be exploited and mutely, non-resistively accept it.
2) Myth Ragging helps in breaking the ice between the seniors and freshers. It helps in their interaction and developing friendship between them.
Fact :Ragging is an archaic method of interaction with several harmful effects. Today with advance psychological science there are many other healthy ways of interaction which are more effective and without any human rights abuse.
3) Myth Ragging generates a feeling of unity and Oneness.
Fact :Ragging divides the students on the lines of caste, region, class etc. It sets mob mentality in the students.
4) Myth Severe Ragging is not prevalent anymore.
Fact: Severe ragging is widely prevalent in most of the University hostels. There have been deaths due to ragging The problem is not yet solved, it is just hidden.
5) Myth After the ban on ragging, colleges have geared up against it.
Fact :Many colleges now try their best to keep the incident under the cover to save themselves from embarrassment and the reputation of the college.
(Ragging in Indian Universities and Colleges Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education)
Sir Ivor Jennings, the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya once said the fundamental task of higher education is to produce men and women who are capable of fulfilling any function in the world that may fall to their lot, citizens of high intelligence, complete moral integrity and possessing energy, initiative, judgement, tact, and qualities of leadership” (Jennings, 1948). The perpetrators who commit serious violence and human right violations in the Sri Lankan Universities do not have the central qualities such as moral integrity, leadership and intelligence that Sir Ivor Jennings mentioned. These are wasted people and they have nothing to offer to the society. These people do not deserve to be called "University Students".
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