IIT Kharagpur, where a student was allegedly ragged months before he was found dead on the campus last year, has in an advisory told students to stay away from any activity “which may be interpreted as an act of ragging”.
In the advisory, the students have been asked to follow the institute’s rules so no one is ever forced “to take part in the hall-related activities against his/her wish”.
The parents of Faizan Ahmed, who was found dead in a hostel room in October last year, had in November filed a petition in Calcutta High Court saying the student had declined to join an “assimilation programme” that the family described as a “glorious term for collective ragging”.
That programme had been held at the RP Hall of Residence in February 2022.
The advisory, signed by the dean of students, Bhargav Maitra, and other officials, was emailed to the students on Tuesday evening.
It reads: “Unfortunately, over the last 6 months or so, the Office of Dean (SA) has received at least 20 written complaints from students, several of which are serious in nature and therefore, need further investigation and/or disciplinary committee. In the majority of cases, there were clear violations of institute rules and regulations which were formulated to protect you from getting engaged into the act of ragging.”
The advisory reads: “Once again, our sincere appeal to all of you to refrain from any activities which may be interpreted as ragging.”
An inquiry report that the additional superintendent of police, Kharagpur, sent to the superintendent of police, Paschim Medinipur, said some senior students had gone to Faizan’s room and forced him to join the assimilation programme and verbally abused him.
“They went to Faizan’s room to call Faizan whereas according to IIT’s norms, Assimilation Programme (AP) is voluntary participation. No counselling or force or request can be applied to goad someone into attending AP. Apart from this, the fact-finding report (of the IIT) and IIT’s disciplinary committee had found that the students are guilty of ragging,” says the report.
The police have slapped charges of criminal intimidation and causing disappearance of evidence on five students.
Warning the students against forcing anyone to take part in any hall-related activity, the advisory says: “We must remind you that the Institute encourages participation of students in various Hall and TSG-related activities, as all these activities help you in your holistic professional and social development. However, please follow the institute rules and regulations, and never ever force or pursue anyone (not even a single student) to take part in these activities against his/her wish.”
TSG stands for Technology Students Gymkhana.
Participation in “all Hall and TSG-related activities”, the advisory says, “is entirely voluntary”.
The advisory says that one should alert any dean immediately if he or she is subject to ragging or comes to know of any such activity. “Confidentiality of your identity will be maintained strictly,” it says.
Asked about the advisory, dean Maitra declined to comment.
