Before a three-member committee set up on Saturday to investigate the alleged ragging case taken place in RIMS could reach to any conclusion, RIMS Director has already downplayed the charges calling the entire issue minor one. He instead blamed possible ‘communalisation’ of petty things for such unpleasant events to occur year after year.
At the same time, he also expressed displeasure over non-proactive attitude of Dean, Student Welfare in many cases, which led to some unpleasant events taking place that could be easily avoided otherwise.
“Prima facie, the entire issue is minor one which shouldn’t be seen as ragging. The issue, as I have enquired at my level so far, revolves around collection of funds as contribution for Saraswati Pooja. last year also we had come across similar event, which was also posed as ragging. However, if something falls under definition of ragging, I assure to take strict action against whosoever found guilty,” said Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Director Bl Sherwal on Sunday.
At least three dozens of students of 2015 batch had made a formal complaint to Sherwal on Saturday making ragging charges on their seniors. They accused their seniors of 2011-batch of forcing them to knelt-down. The Director called a meeting of all the HoDs and constituted a three-member committee comprising Dr. Vivek Kashyap, Dr. Deependra Kumar Sinha and Dr. Manoj Kumar Paswan to come out with the truth.
Sherwal said that junior students might not have agreed to forced contribution for upcoming Saraswati Pooja, and rightly so specially in case the amount might have been kept at higher side. “Prima facie only this is coming out that seniors forced them either to pay or to get ready for punishment otherwise without knowing that it might fall under definition of ragging,” said Sherwal. However, he affirmed firm action against anyone found guilty once report of the committee was put before him.
“last year also there was a row over Pooja collections, which led to an incident falling into definition of ragging. The students collect contributions and they organise Pooja. We did give a thought of taking things in our hands and assigning some official to take charge of Pooja activities after yester year’s similar event. But you know, things are so easily communalized here that once we ventured into it, we had to assign someone only to take care of festivals and Pooja of different communities’ entire year. This is why we dropped the idea and left everything on students itself which again resulted in someone making ragging charges,” said Sherwal.