[ Amar Sangno ]
ITANAGAR, 17 Sep: In a disconcerting news for the state’s lone medical college, Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Science (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun, an incident of ragging reportedly took place in the TRIHMS boys’ hostel in Block A on Friday evening.
A video clip purportedly showing the ragging of freshers, who are seen being forced to sit up inside the room, has surfaced on social media. It is learnt that the video was recorded by someone from a nearby building.
Sources in the TRIHMS informed The Arunachal Times that on 15 September, a group of 2022 batch students, allegedly led by one Anil Bishnoi from Rajasthan, went into Room No 4 at around 4:30 pm, assembled the freshers, and forced them to introduce themselves. Agitated by the act of the seniors, one student, from Haryana, reportedly resisted being ragged and immediately informed his parents.
One of his parents reportedly rushed to the hostel, intervened, and brought the situation under control.
However, hours after the student’s parent had left the hostel, Bishnoi and his 2022 batch student friends again called up all the freshers and rounded them up in Room No 7 at around 9:30 pm, and forced them to do sit-ups, holding their ears, while the juniors were partially naked, the sources added.
The senior students allegedly separated the Haryanvi boy from other students, stripped him naked, and physically abused him, inflicting bruises on his body. It is learnt that the ragging and the physical abuse continued till midnight.
Surprisingly, Room No 7, where the ragging took place the whole night, is adjacent to the watchman/guard room. However, neither the watchman nor the TRIHMS authorities noticed the incident.
The Arunachal Times sent queries to TRIHMS Director Dr Moji Jini and its Dean Dr Shyamal Bhattarchaya for their reaction. However, neither of them responded.
It is learnt that an internal inquiry has been carried out by the Anti-Ragging Committee, and that the report will be submitted on Monday.
Meanwhile, a meeting had been convened by the Chairman of the Anti-Ragging Committee on September 18th to discuss the incident and to take the necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Ragging is a crime and is banned by the Supreme Court of India in any educational institution. In 2001, the Supreme Court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Vishwa Jagriti against the increase in incidents of ragging in educational institutions in India. The apex court gave a landmark judgment while “broadly speaking” on ragging, paving the way for a ban on ragging in India.
The Medical Council of India in its notification on 3 August, 2009 notified that ragging is a crime and banned in medical institutions. It added that “ragging in all its forms shall be totally banned in the entire medical college, institution, or university, including its departments, constituent units, all its premises (academic, residential, sports, canteen, etc), whether located within the campus or outside, and in all means of transportation of students, whether public or private.”
“The medical college, institution, or university shall take strict action against those found guilty of ragging and/or of abetting ragging,” the notification read.
Educational institutions were directed to create awareness on ragging in their advertisements for admission by clearly mentioning that ragging is totally banned and prohibited in any medical college or institution, and it was informed that anyone found guilty of ragging and/or abetting ragging is liable to be punished appropriately.
The notification also asked the educational institutions to incorporate all the directions of the Supreme Court in the admission prospectus and other admission-related documents, as applicable, so that the candidates and their parents/guardians are sensitised to the prohibition and consequences of ragging.
Formerly known as a general hospital, the TRIHMS, named after former chief minister late Tomo Riba, was converted into a medical college in 2017. The first academic session started in 2018 with 50 students in the first batch.