Short film focuses on pitfalls of ragging

KOLKATA: Vishal is inhumanly ragged by his college senior Sumit, tries to kill himself and forced to leave the institution. Years later, fate lands his perpetrator Sumit, now jobless, at the mercy of successful businessman Vishal. And now, it was his turn to settle the score.
No these are no real life characters caught in the vicious circle of ragging but characters of a short film - Ragged - made by Tathagata Bhattacharjee."Ragging distorts the thinking ability of a sound person. Though it may not always be visible physically, the scar remains mentally. The 20-minute film would perhaps show the offenders that they could be victims, too, in future," he said.
Bhattacherjee has already approached educational institutions in Jamshedpur for screening the movie and schools, colleges and universities are also on his radar. Already in the final stages of approaching Jadavpur University and Besu, apart from the other colleges he said: "Students must say no to ragging and I am confident of positive results."
The office of the superintendent of the dean of students said: "We are yet to hear from him officially. Since we keep organizing many awareness programmes as part of the anti-ragging committee, it sounds interesting. Though this will be possible only after there is an official clearance and all the other formalities are completed."
"Students rag to show off their strength, power and superiority. And, it is no longer gender specific. Also, many think it is fashionable and a right of a senior to rag the newcomers because they have faced the same. The psyche of vengeance works. Fortunately, I have never faced ragging. But I have seen how the confidence of my friends got shattered," said Bhattacharjee.
"True, my institution is vigilant about ragging, but when I approached our principal for a screening she was enthusiastic. Ragging does not stop at colleges only. We have to brace for a harsher world at the university and later at the workplace. Screening the film at various institutions will form a wider base of viewers and create greater awareness," said Ayesha Chokhani, a student of Loreto College.