Ragging

Now, Social Media to Fight Ragging

Be the revolt in Egypt to overturn a dictatorial regime or Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have played a pivotal role in bringing  people together. As a powerful administration tries to block and hide information, social media becomes an uncensored and virally spreading information agent for the protestors. What is more, people can form public groups on these social sites and do a strong protest campaign , without having to be physically present at the location.

Now, it is time for fighting ragging through Facebook. CURE: Coalition to Uproot Ragging from Education has come up with a novel concept of having a Facebook page on ragging: www.facebook.com/noragging/ The page is a one-stop destination for all information on ragging: it features India’s first song and video on ragging, latest statistics, myths and research information associated with ragging. The Wall is regularly updated with the latest ragging news, ragging facts and invites people to post their views and complaints about ragging.

“We want to reach out to both the fresher and senior students. Today students spend majority of their time on Facebook. We want to talk to students directly across India and communicate to them the ills of ragging. We believe that students are very sensible and once made aware will stop indulging in this insensitive act”, says Mohit Garg, CURE co-founder. The page invites students to become CURE Ambassadors and spread the message of stopping ragging to all their friends and local community.

CURE founders believe that laws are enough and one needs to find creative ways of taking the message to the youth. “We have a very creative page. The idea is not to lecture people. We usinnovative images, quotes and videos to introduce students to the psychology of ragging and why it is not ‘cool’ to rag. A lot of parents between the age of 35 years to 50 years are also on Facebook. We want to reach out to them as well.”, says Varun Aggarwal, CURE. He feels that this page will become the Mecca for protests and advocacy against ragging.

Till now students and parents and students approach CURE through their website, www.noragging.com. “There have been multiple occasions in the past where students have approached us for a platform where they could share their experiences and learn more about ragging. The Facebook page addresses this gap.”, recalled Harh Agarwal, CURE. “Not only that, CURE’s Facebook page will be an excellent interactive forum for teachers, principals, parents and media to exchange their views, share their anti-ragging initiatives and also develop better understanding of this issue” adds Harsh.

 If you feel strongly about ragging, you do not need to go to Jantar Mantar to protest, just logon to www.facebook.com/noragging/. Your voice will reach far and wide.