Do Harsh Punishments Lead to Suicides?

A few days ago, a first year student, studying engineering in St.Joseph Engineering College,Chennai, committed suicide by hanging in his hostel room unable to bear the harsh punishments meted out to him by the college authorities.

The above incident ignited a spontaneous agitation among the student community especially those staying in the hostel. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the harsh regulations imposed on the student community. Even under the threat of losing their internal assessment marks during the semester examination, the students were firm and continued their agitation by squatting on the old Mahabalipuram road, just opposite to their college.They were more concerned about their self-respect and security to their life than anything.

The first year student, who had committed suicide, of course, did commit some mistakes while doing practicals in the labs.But the college authorities reacted rather harshly and imposed severe punishments on the student.

As per the existing regulations,the harsh punishments imposed by the college authorities on the erring students are:-

1. The erring students will be given OD, meaning assignment of Office Duties.The student, who has been given this punishment, has to perform office duties in the college office like running errands, doing personal works for the office staff, be available in the office at any time, to have his breakfast, lunch and dinner etc only when he is asked to do so etc; sometimes the student may not be able to have his breakfast or dinner since he is permitted rather belatedly, even after 10.00 pm in the night. During this OD, the student will be always at the mercy of the office staff. How long this punishment called OD will last, no one knows.
2. Reduction of the internal assessment marks;
3. The college authorities also do not permit the erring students to appear in the model examinations conducted in the college prior to the university examination which will also have its own bearing in reducing the internal assessment marks.

The above student, who committed suicide, was asked to perform his OD by undergoing the above ordeals. In addition, the Director of the Engineering College, did not permit him to appear in the model examination. Hence, the student’s  father tried to meet the director seeking permission for his son to appear in the model exams. But the director refused to meet him. Meanwhile, the model examinations commenced and the student could not appear in three exams. The student felt ignominious and suffered from mental agony, because : 1)his father could not meet the director; 2)he could not appear in the model examinations. However, the student’s father consoled his son that it was only the model examination and he need not worry much about it.

However, the student was not convinced; he felt that the punishments given to him were rather harsh; his father could not meet the director; since he was not permitted to appear in the model exams that his internal marks would get reduced.All these factors combined together forcing the student to commit suicide in his hostel room.

A student who had just entered into the portals of the engineering college with a fervent hope of bright future, found his hopes were belied and shattered. It seems that the college authorities in their bid to enforce discipline among the student community had devised some strange and cruel methods of punishments; instead of making the students to repent for their mistakes, they went too far and adopted cruel methods so as to create a fear psychosis in the mind of the student, thereby making him to suffer from mental agony ,break down and commit suicide.

While the Supreme Court of India is very particular in totally banning ragging from the colleges, the higher authorities of college education should also issue a model code of conduct to regulate the conduct of both the college authorities as well as the student community. They should also issue directions to the concerned college authorities to scrap such senseless punishments and regulations, besides punishing the irresponsible officials. Otherwise, such college authorities will remain berserk to impose harsh punishments on the students.It will cause chaos and utter confusion among the student community.