Kozhikode: Anonymity, sadism, silence of victims abet ragging

Kozhikode: All kinds of ragging are injurious to mind and body and have led to many having mental disorders, said Dr PN Sureshkumar, a noted psychiatrist. Sharing his views with DC on the trend of ragging, he said being a group activity the victim would be intimidated about complaining about the incident. The secret suffering on the part of the victim also encourages the tormentors, he said.

Mr Sureshkumar said that there was also an element of anonymity. In a mob everybody would be safe as he/she is involved in the activity as a group and would be free from a guilty conscience. "There is no individual responsibility. The suppressed antisocial urge in every human being also play a key role in the crime. There are also elements of sadism where the perpetrators enjoy witnessing the suffering of the victims," he said.  

Mr Sureshkumar also said that unlike earlier when ragging cases were mainly reported from professional institutions like medical and engineering colleges, now the incidents had gone up in unprofessionally run self-financing institutions.

"There are students who become drug addicts after they were forced to consume drugs as part of continuous ragging", he pointed out.