The Intro Ban

What I am talking about here is a story I worked on in the newsletter in-DePTh, and since due to the restrictions from authorities could not be published. The article was titled ‘the intro ban’. As the name suggests Intro ban discussed the issue of ragging and the recent enforcements in the campus to prevent ragging. In the article for the newsletter, my job was to remain neutral and to give an account of what happened and what led to the ragging ban. But, the senior in me had different opinions.
I was a first yearite not a long time back. I remember those dark nights when we juniors used to sit in a room awaiting seniors to come and screw us. I was scared shit of ragging; my parents had given me clear instructions to report to wardens in case someone misbehaved with me. And when eventually I started my life here in DPT, and started off with the first intros, the fear was still there, but along with it was this peculiar sense of excitement, something that had never ever happened to me was happening then, I was being asked the most personal questions, and I was answering them unashamed. Sometimes, things were really disgusting, stuff seniors can make you do. But at each point when I was undergoing these repeated insults and mockery, I was changing. The change was so remarkable, I who was introvert until then was at ease with any person who came along and said hi to me. I did not care what someone else thought of me, I was free to speak my mind.
Although I am not a ragging enthusiast, yet I feel ragging teaches you things which no classroom can teach you. It is just like toning a muscle, for a muscle to build up, you put it under a lot of tension and later when you rest or sleep this muscle builds up to suffer much more tension the following day. So with human character, the period of ragging puts you under a lot of pressure and then when you are done with stress training you come out a new and changed man.
And personally, for me those first few months of my college life will be imprinted in my memory for ever. At that point of time, none of it seemed so enjoyable but when I look back at it, each of those moments is worth sitting with friends over a cup of coffee and laugh. What else do you want from your memories than a smile and a sigh.
So juniors if you are reading me, you are dreading an experience you just heard of… Do not worry, every one is human in here, no one eats flesh or drinks blood. We just have fun, it is ultimately your choice if you want to plant seeds of love with your seniors….or just stay aloof from a social life .
I went through a survey, neither the seniors nor the juniors are happy with the lack of interaction that is being practiced. Senior demands his right for playing the boss for a couple of months and the Junior is scared of what might happen. Every year similar situations come up, but seniors would not give up and end up cementing relationships with juniors. But, this year has seen a lull, maybe due to the changed attitude of Seniors or because the authorities have come down on the seniors with a heavy hand, even if a senior is seen just talking to his junior he is screwed.
None of us are at fault here, everyone is limited in his/her own ways. But at the end of the day the loser is the campus which once thrived with brotherly love, and now has just become bricks and sand.