DISCLAIMER: Like most of my posts, this is being written from the top of my head. Readers understanding sought.
“tell me how many balls can you see,” the senior said pointing a Hingis poster on the wall. She swung her racket and the tennis ball appeared three times in the poster.
“one,” I responded.
“Trying to be smart,” he said motioning me to move aside.
The next came and he replied, “three.”
“its five, isn’t it?” the senior asked, “look carefully.”
“Anyway we welcome you all to this hostel. Stay well, be on time and be proud of your hostel (read house) at all times.” The senior said shaking hands.
Another day
“where did you go today?” a hairy senior asked, caressing his sculpted belly. Obvious indication that he hadn’t escaped hardships of an SSGian’s life.
“PWD da”
“who did you ask?”
“No one da”
“You got wings already?” the senior said sending his arms flying to the junior’s cheek.
The junior ran away the following night with a broken ear drum.
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Last evening I was talking to a friend of mine, as we waited at the crowded BRT signal in Delhi. It started as a passing comment on the racist attacks on Indian students in Australia. I added my inputs from an article that said how Delhi was equally racist in treating students (as well as employed men) from the Northeast in no known ways of moderateness and understanding. My friend said, Delhi does it because no one has a sense of belongingness to this city. Buy or grab land, build house, get a car and there you go…just rent them. And this city is more yours than those who come seeking for your house on rent!
Respect for others come from your sense of belongingness (community) she said. I curled my eyebrows in slight disagreement and she quickly added,
“when you are in a community, there is an elder guiding you.”
The traffic signals in BRT Delhi is notoriously slow during peak hours and I turned off the ignition of my car. She continued, “racism is much like ragging, you never know where to stop it. And when the fun turns into racism and violence.”
I muttered something and the light ahead turned green. Ragging in Sainik School Goalpara is a debatable issue. Its undoubtedly wrong many a times. But I am afraid if I am going to criticize it until I can come up with an useful alternate. An alternate that can uphold the very spirit of being an SSGian. I take a further step and feel compelled to divulge that ‘ragging’ in sainik school Goalpara is different from the ragging that we read in newspapers. Many will agree, many will not. I wasn’t sure if I could make sense trying to put them into words, and explain it to her. Like most other experiences of being an SSGian.
Racism & Ragging (Vis-a-vis attacks in Australia)
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1 comments:
Well a very well written and on a very important topic.Racism and ragging two very heavy words, many of us definitely have a real life and `harsh experience on these for sure, however ragging in SSG has got a very different meaning, what I feel is that it is a teaching process.When we are in class VIII or IX we move o senior houses and that is the time when we face the real music,the seniors at that time look like demons to us but they do care for us as evident by their certain acts like not allowing inter house punishments, freedom to bully other houses during inter house competitions, the house centi is much more prominent than seniority and juniority.Most of us will agree that those seniors who are terror during reading room and common room days become more close and free for rest of our lives.......The ragging in SSG helps put in us the spirit, the never say die attitude, the josh and every thing what we have today, it helps us to know ourselves.....however the racist attacks in Australia have been condemned by everyone including the Australians.....I hope that these will soon be over, Indian students bring the 2nd highest revenue there and they will definitely not try to leave it.
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