Ragging replaced with geniality

CHANDIGARH: Hooting and sit-ups are no more considered trendy enough to be part of a college fresher���s life. With the Supreme Court���s sword dangling over the colleges authorities��� heads over the issue of ragging, seniors in a large number of city colleges have vowed not just to maintain a low profile and friendly atmosphere for their juniors but also to make sure that no ragging takes place on the college premises at all.
Colleges are sporting a festive look and one would now see seniors as bullies with devil-may-care attitude kicking newcomers��� heels.The wall between seniors and freshers has rather collapsed, bringing them on friendly terms with each other.
Denying that the earlier equation of seniors and juniors exists anymore, Pooja Chandran, a final year student of GC-11, said, ���Students come to colleges to study and not to be ragged. We, as seniors, would make sure that no fresher is harassed in any way.���
Sahil, another student, said, ���As freshers, we were not ragged and nor would we let ragging take place in our college,��� he said.
GCG-11 principal Promila Kaushal is of the view that ragging not only lends a negative connotation to introductory sessions involving seniors and juniors, but many a time, it leads to disturbances. Seniors could interact with their juniors in many ways. Ragging is not the only one, she said.
While GCG-42 will be arranging freshers��� parties for students in keeping with their respective streams, senior students are all set to organize small get-togethers to have friendly conversations with newcomers. They are voicing that they are as much against ragging as their juniors, leaving no room for this menace, said principal Nindru Bal.
���Though I was a bit relaxed owing to the strict norms this time, the thought of not being spared in the hostel kept me on tenterhooks till my first day in college. But the scene here is very different from what is presumed by many,��� said Chhavi Sharma, a first year student of GCG-11.