RAGGING: AN OFFENCE OF FUN!

A student is made to do offensive job as a part of ragging. He does everything with fear but gradually it becomes impossible for him to digest all the misdeeds and commits suicide. He writes a suicide note about his offences and not as a complaint on who all made him do it. A friend finds it and shares with a student reporter, another friend of hers. The student reporter arranges to uncover the issue which is covered up in the name of peer pressure to the students and not as result of ragging. On the previous day of the press conference, the raggers approach the friend and plead her to shut it all and confess their mistakes. They plead for a way out. The friend makes the raggers open an anti-ragging squad. An innocent life is lost, the raggers mentally punished because of their ego and self-centeredness. Ragging is eradicated completely in the college. Characters: Fresher1: Vamsi Krishna Fresher2: Ayisha M Senior1: Krishna Chaitanya Senior2: Sai Venkat Principal: Janaki Ram Narrator: Chinmayee Raj SCENE 1 Start of the new academic year. All freshers are happy and seniors more happy. A fresher passes by a group of two seniors. Senior1: Fresher huh? Fresher: Yes Sir.

Senior2: Dont know how to respect your seniors? Salute us! Fresher1: (Fearfully salutes and leaves) Senior1: I so feel like ragging him. Senior2: Me too da. Lets wait and watch, then the lamb shall be Slaughtered! Fresher2: Hey, hello. You are also a fresher right? Do you know where IT class is? Fresher1: Even I am going that way, come with me. Fresher2: Ok, thanks.

SCENE 2 After that day, Fresher1 goes to his room in the boys hostel, hears a lot of noise out of his room. Someone bangs on his door. Senior1&2: Come out you kiddo! We have a meeting at the quadrangle. Fresher1: What meeting sir? Senior1: Just come out before we pull you out holding your collar! Fresher1: (Opens the door and walks to the quadrangle area) Seniors are holding wine bottles in their hands and are eagerly waiting for the junior to come to them. Senior2: Come; lets go to the fifth floor. Senior2: (On reaching the fifth floor) walk on the compound! Fresher1: Sir please, I am scared! What if I fall and die? Youll be in trouble! Senior1: Hey, we know how to get out of trouble, worry about yourself

da, dont make us angry, walk on the compound, ten rounds! The fresher walks on the compound with shaky legs without uttering another word overcoming his phobia for heights. Fresher1: (After walking, gets down from the compound in a shock) let me go, please. Senior1: Not before drinking this! (Gives him a bottle of wine) Fresher1: (Drinks it realizing that no resistance would help) You finished it allyou ruined my religious practices, my vows, everything all of it! Senior2: Oh no man! I didnt know! (Starts laughing out loud)

Senior1: (Laughing) Alright then, off you go, Ill take care of you tomorrow! The seniors rag him on a daily basis for months. It doesnt end in alcohol, it continues to making him smoke, feed him non-vegetarian food and drugs. The juniors marks come down in spite of him being a very good student in his previous college. He becomes extremely guilty for not fighting back against the forcefulness he was made to undergo. He writes a suicide note saying thus, Dear father and dear mother, College is nothing that I had assumed it would be. Its a home for the ruining of ones beliefs, tradition and culture. I didnt know this the day I had wanted to join the college in spite of your disagreement to it. I have cheated you father; I have done very unacceptable deeds with fear. Would you accept me if you know that I drank liquor? Would momma ever embrace me lovingly if she knows that I smoked? I think I know you well enough, the answer is a NO! I know I would burn in hell

for my crimespray God that I get the courage to face it. I am extremely sorry. Your son, Fresher1

He keeps the letter by mistake in the notes that he had borrowed from Fresher2 earlier that day. That night while being ragged and told to walk on the compound of the fifth floor, he falls down on purpose and commits suicide. People below know nothing of the ragging taking place all these months on the terrace of the hostel. They naturally presume that the boy committed suicide.

SCENE 3 The press gets the news of the suicide and rush to the Principals office for answers. Principal: This is surely a suicide case. Everyone knows about the stress Level of our college. Ragging is completely ruled out. I repeat, its a suicide due to peer pressure or may be due to his family problems. Case is closed and no further investigation is done as no suicide note or any supporting evidence is found.

SCENE 4 Fresher2 finds a note in her notebook. Fresher2: (Confused) Whose handwriting is this? (After reading the

letter) Oh my God! He was ragged; he was made to go against his religion. I dont even think these senseless seniors are even guilty! I must do something! She calls up a student news reporter and explains everything. Without warning, the reporter makes arrangements to uncover the closed case in the media. While on the phone... Senior1: Are you a friend of Fresher1? Fresher2: Yes, do you have any problem with that? Senior2: Come with mewe need to talk. Fresher2: I dont think there is anything left to talk. Do you know how much trouble you are in this very moment? Senior1: (Joins in) Please pal, at least allow us to confess our mistakes. Its not that we are trying to convince you that we are innocent. We are the culprits. We are mentally very disturbed that an innocent life like his is lost because of us. But please dont give such a big punishment that our whole career will be ruined. Give us a way out. Please dont do this. Fresher2: What can you do even if I let you out of such a big crime? The arrangements are made, get ready to meet your fateful fate sirs!

Senior2: We can stop the loss of other students. After all, we are seniors, we can lead our next batch in the right path. Teach them and make them realize that ragging is a shameful act of mental violence on the juniors. Fresher2: If this is some major game to escape, I think its a poor one! Senior1: No sis! We are really sorry. Please accept our guilt and let us out of this! Fresher2: Be it then. You must open an Anti-Ragging squad in this college and not one should hear about any ragging issues in this college ever again. An anti-ragging squad is opened by the seniors as promised. The student reporter was asked to stop all her arrangements to reveal the suicide note due to ragging. After a lot of denial, she agreed and swore to keep an eye on the anti-ragging squad and its accomplishments. The freshers parents are convinced that he did all of it out of fear and never on purpose. They forgave the seniors responsible for it. No one ever hears about a ragging issue in the college. Not that it was wisely covered upit was never happening.