Suicide of a girl student in Vadakara, arrest of six, trigger discussion
It was alleged that the girl was continuously harassed by the seniors in the campus, rest room and even in the college bus.
KOZHIKODE: The suicide of a female degree student allegedly due to ragging and the arrest of six final year degree students have resulted in a campaign against ragging in all colleges of the district.
Ashnas Hameed, a second year BSc (Microbiology) student at Malabar Higher Educational Society- College of Science and Technology, Cherandathur near Vadakara, a self-financing institution, committed suicide on July 22 allegedly due to ragging by senior students.
It was alleged that the girl was continuously harassed by the seniors in the campus, rest room and even in the college bus. It was on the day she was harassed in public in the college bus that the girl committed suicide, alleged relatives. The statement of friends of the victim was the main evidence that led to the arrest of the six students including three girls.
Students’ organisations started a campaign across the district against ragging in the wake of the incident. SFI state committee member Fahad Khan told DC that the number of ragging cases came down due to the vigil maintained by students’ organisations. “But there are campuses as in the case of the self-financing college at Vadakara, where political activities are restricted”, he said. “Available only for the rich, such institutions are inaccessible to ordinary students as well as public”, he added. “We have already started a campaign against the trend”, he added.
Malabar Christian College principal Pavamani Mary Gladys told DC that there had been no incident at the institution for the last several years. “We used to give special sessions as part of the anti-ragging drive for students”, she added. “Our students also are vigilant against such activities”, she added.
Though a section of the public is sad about the arrest of six students in connection with the incident, and the consequential imprisonment, a majority feel that a thorough probe and punishment to the guilty would reduce ragging incidents.
Thiruvalloor panchayat president A. Mohanan who is also the convenor of the public action council told DC that such incidents should not happen in future. “It should be a lesson for the entire student community and the guilty should be punished”, he added.