Life of a Bhutru

By RAGHAVENDRAN

The author was at the Regional Engineering College, Rourkela, between 1994 and '98. He wrote this essay for The Stop Ragging Campaign in June 2004. The institute has been renamed National Institute of Technology.

The main building of the engineering institute

I was moved by the incidents narrated by an anonymous person about ragging at MNREC, Allahabad. I have heard about such incidents by word of mouth from my friends who studied in other REC's. This made me want to pen down my experiences at REC Rourkela.

This is the story of a hapless ‘bhutru’ (that is what they call a fresher in REC Rourkela, now called NIT Rourkela). I do not seek anonymity for what I am writing here. This is in no way to degrade the name of REC Rourkela. I have all the respect for the institutions that imparted sound education to me. I owe all the credit to what I am today to my education at REC Rourkela and Anna University (I was a day-scholar here). But these are temples of knowledge from where such nonsense activities have to be uprooted.

This is not just a story for you to read but a page out of my life.

I was a city bred guy, soft at heart, who would never think of harming anyone even in a dream. Long before I decided to join REC-R, I knew some alumni of other REC's who said that ragging in REC’s is very severe and advised me to be optimistic at every stage, without losing heart.

Even before I took admission I had started to see the evils of ragging, not to think of what my dad would have thought having seen another fresher being slapped in the face by a senior. He just asked me before leaving me alone at the hostel if I would take care and be fine. I said at any cost, I would manage. I was determined that I have come to this great institution to study and will do only that and nothing else, come what may. After all I would only die out of this ragging as an extreme case.

Freshers are called bhutrus (meaning 'slaves' in Oriya).

We did not have to wear white but had to look at the third button of the shirt (which had to be simple and not fancy) at any time, whether in the college or the hostel or outside. There were things like REC Anthem and Namaz (the text cannot be reproduced for the abusive language it contains) which I had to know by heart and recite when asked for. Any mistake and I would be slapped a couple of times. There were slaps of different kinds: the obtuse one, the one with the palm folded, sometimes with a knee-chuckle. But all the while, I stood like a Gandhi, practicing ahimsa, for I was determined to let nothing come in the way of my getting an Honours in B.E (Civil Engineering). I know I could have revolted against this, but most REC's are 99% boarding and if the college authorities themselves were hesitant to use strong arm methods, I would only end up spoiling my future by filing a complaint. I know of instances where freshers were almost beaten to death by seniors against whom they had complained - along with the help of some outside anti-social elements. (I believe this happened at REC Warangal?)

We too had mass ragging. The effective study time used to be midnight 12.00 to morning 6.30 am because we could not put on the lights in our rooms (first years were put in one hostel, four of us in one room each). The freshers hostel used to be called “Bhoot Bungalow”, because nobody had the guts to switch on the lights after 6 pm. He who dared would be beaten black and blue.

We had to wear shoes all the time, even while sleeping, for the fear of some senior sneaking into the freshers hostel by bribing the watchman and finding us out not in shoes. Of course we used to be beaten while going for taking a bath, for not being in shoes.

We had to walk to the college from the hostel and back in one single line, that too looking down at the third buttons of our shirts. The person first in this line would be the most unfortunate. The line could be broken anytime and a section routed to the seniors hostel, which in my words would be something like an Abu Gharib prison for the freshers.

There was a park in Rourkela called IG Park and there used to be a pre-welcome by the state seniors here. Nothing interesting: we would be taken to this park and beaten to their hearts’ content for almost half a day.

For about one month, the college authorities had put up an ARC (Anti-Ragging Committee) and had faculty posted at the freshers hostel. The ARC also included senior students, which only added fuel to the fire. Such ARC seniors only ended up taking advantage of the authority vested in them to conveniently rag the juniors.We resolved not to rag our juniors and were quite successful. We made our seniors repent for their actions through our noble acts. They felt so bad that they said that they would attend our farewell party only if we accepted their apologies. Which was a great victory for the path of ahimsa we adopted; we belonged to the land of the Mahatma.

Until we graduated (1994-98) we ensured that none of our colleagues indulged in ragging. We were determined and did boycott a close friend of ours for having learnt that he had indulged in physical ragging. But he later apologised and we pardoned him.

I was even beaten in the second year for not cooperating in writing banners for the college elections. It was examination time and I told my seniors that I was not in a position to help them. But it only ended up with the whole second year (‘maddu’ batch) getting beaten up. This incident was an unexpected one and happened after we were returning from the movie at the college AV Hall. The memories freshen up every time I come across the name of that movie, Maverick.

I am still in touch with the seniors who had ragged us (physically too) and we have our top scores: this is what they call the total number of slaps one gets during the ragging period. Many of them are in big MNC's like Infosys, TCS, WIPRO, L&T and so on. I meet them now and then. We talk and share a lot. But something goes unexchanged between us when we meet. The memories of the days of ragging at REC Rourkela, which I can read in their eyes.What use was their education if they have no values in life? Who gave them the authority to abuse someone, when they had been admitted like any fresher to get technical education? Who is to be blamed? The freshers, the college authorities or the seniors who have had poor role models?

My suggestion is a call for action so that every student who even thinks of indulging in such activities, should not be able to do so even in his dreams. Such action could be to the extent of stripping them of all the education they have had, and not just from the college. They should be banned for life from getting educated to the extent of being practically illiterate. India does not need such professionals. I am not exaggerating here. No one would know the pains I suffered to simply get an Honours in B.E.

I know of a student in RECR, who got himself transferred to the REC of his home state, for the fear of disciplinary proceedings against him for indulging in ragging and for slapping a faculty.

Hats off to The Stop Ragging Campaign for taking the first bold step towards eliminating the evil of ragging. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That single step has to be taken from where you are.

NIT, Rourkela, Alumni Association
firsthand@stopragging.org