THE GROWING CRISIS OF RAGGING IN KERALA

AGGING in Kerala's educational institutions has become an organised crime, which at times is facilitated by drug abuse. Despite the strict laws to counter such brutalities, many educational institutions choose not to report such incidents.

- RAMESH CHENNITHALA

AGGING in Kerala's educational institutions has become an organised crime, which at times is facilitated by drug abuse. Despite the strict laws to counter such brutalities, many educational institutions choose not to report such incidents. Often, perpetrators receive political protection, enabling them to continue their violent activities on campus with impunity.

A recent example of this horrifying situation was the tragic death of J S Siddharth, a student at a Pookode veterinary college. For days, he was brutally assaulted by a group of senior students in the courtyard of the boys' hostel. The attackers stripped him and subjected him to unimaginable cruelty. Not one of those 100-odd students who witnessed this assault dared to intervene or report it. Eventually, Siddharth took his own life.

This cannot be considered a suicide—it's murder. The ones who physically tortured him are not the only culprits. Those who stood silently, paralysed by fear, are to be equally blamed. The core of this fear stems from the political patronage enjoyed by the perpetrators and their links to crime syndicates. Students fear if they speak up, they too will be subjected to similar brutality.

It's shocking that the leaders of the Students' Federation of India, the student wing of the CPI(M), led this inhumane torture. Following the incident, it was disturbing to witness the party, the state government and the college administration competing to shield these criminals.