Kathmandu, July 30

A medical student at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital remembers how he and two of his roommates were harassed in the name of ragging after they were enrolled in MBBS programme.

They were forced to salute their seniors, sing and dance for them at night in hostel rooms.

Students of a private college said though there were student unions at the college, some seniors were always involved in abusing and humiliating the juniors.

Some girl students of another private college said senior boys used to pass some abusive comments. They further said some boys even used to whistle and sing vulgar songs when walking past them. Sabina, who just passed her Grade XII examinations from a private college said, “Although they passed some abusive comments, ragging was not a nuisance in college,” she added.

Some Grade XII boys said they were bullied by their own classmates who teased them for their physical deformity. Many Grade XI and XII students, however told THT that they did were not the victims of ragging in their colleges.

In an interview conducted by THT with over a dozen students from six educational institutions including private and public, majority of the male students said they were not the victims of ragging. Nonetheless, Nepal police claims that they have booked 1,638 persons for their alleged involvement in ragging in the last two months.

Police had on April 26 initiated a nationwide anti-ragging campaign in a bid to create a sound academic environment at educational institutions.

Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal had inaugurated the campaign through a video conference in Kathmandu.

Nepal police, however, did not reveal the names of the colleges or institutions from where the students were arrested for ragging.

Police said the students were arrested for bullying, ragging, manhandling and defamation.  Many were arrested for cyber crime, according to police.