http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=97068
Gag order in SPA as rumours over ragging fly thick and fast
Express News Service
New Delhi, August 26: Tension was palpable in the School of Planning &
Architecture (SPA) campus a day after it was reported that
sexually-abusive ragging had taken place.
It had been alleged that three freshers were subjected to extreme forms
of ragging last week. The SPA authorities were said to have been too
lenient with the seven seniors involved in ragging and the culprits were
fined Rs.10,000, beside being suspended for three weeks.
SPA students and faculty members, however, closed ranks on Thursday with
students refusing to speak about the incident and the administrative
office handing out unsigned press releases denying the report. Later, it
was found that a gag order has been issued to the students by the
administration through their college newsletter.
‘‘We have been asked not to speak about the incident at all. This order
has been issued so that conflicting versions about the episode are not
given out. We cannot break the rules by speaking to the press,’’ said a
member of the Student Council and the Anti-ragging team.
As per the press release given by the registrar of the institute, only
one person was ragged and the harassment he complained against was
limited to verbal exchanges. The press release also said that
appropriate action was taken against the students and that the report
was an attempt to malign the institute.
‘‘This is no more than an attempt to bring negative publicity to a
premier institute like the SPA. The fact that the students had gone on a
one-day strike the day after the incident to protest the punishment
meted out to the seniors involved, points to the fact that even students
had sympathy with them,’’ the registrar, Deshraj Bains, said.
‘‘If there was sexual abuse you think all the students would side with
the culprits?’’ he asked. Faculty members were equally confused with the
rumours flying around.
‘‘I do not know if the sexual abuse part of the story is true or not. If
it is true, it is certainly disgusting. But I have my doubts. SPA has
very strict rules against ragging and students wouldn’t dare to
participate in such sickening forms of ragging for the of fear of losing
a year or expulsion,’’ said a faculty member on condition of anonymity.
Some of the students who did dare to speak up despite the gag order also
confirmed the faculty member’s views.
‘‘The whole story of sexually abusive ragging is out of somebody’s
overactive imagination. At SPA, we have a healthy interaction between
seniors and juniors because we work together in our practical classes.
While only four people were involved, three others who were hanging
around the place were also punished with a fine. So we boycotted the
classes for a day,’’ said a senior SPA student. The student also alleged
the administration had handled the incident badly.