The Cruel 'Mock Marriage' That Shattered Innocence at JNTU

University life. For countless young minds, it represents a fresh start, a canvas for dreams, perhaps even a chance at true belonging. But what happens, you could say, when that vibrant canvas is smudged, deeply and painfully, by the very people meant to welcome you? At JNTU in Telangana, a particularly chilling brand of 'initiation' recently unfolded, leaving first-year students — freshers, as they’re known — with scars that run far deeper than any physical bruise.

It was, for lack of a kinder term, a 'mock marriage' ritual. Seniors, asserting an almost ancient, misguided authority, orchestrated a grotesque parody of a wedding, forcing unwitting freshers into roles of 'bride' and 'groom.' Imagine the scene: students, barely out of their teens, made to wear outlandish attire, perform humiliating acts, all under the watchful, often mocking, gaze of their older peers. And, honestly, it wasn't about laughter; it was about power, a crude display designed, perhaps, to break spirits rather than build camaraderie.

The fallout, as you might well expect, was immediate and devastating. Whispers of profound emotional trauma, of shattered confidence, have since emerged from the campus. For these young men and women, what should have been a period of exciting adjustment became a terrifying ordeal, a forced performance leaving them feeling exposed, vulnerable, and — let’s be frank — utterly betrayed. How does one, after all, easily reconcile the idealism of higher education with such raw, public humiliation?

Ragging, of course, is nothing new; it’s a shadow that has unfortunately long stretched across Indian campuses, despite being outlawed and condemned. Yet, each new incident, especially one so elaborately cruel as this 'mock marriage,' forces us to ask: why does it persist? And more importantly, what precisely is being done to truly stamp out these practices that prey on the most vulnerable? Because in truth, merely having rules isn't enough; enforcement, coupled with a genuine culture of empathy and respect, is paramount.

The incident at JNTU serves as a potent, if painful, reminder: universities must be sanctuaries of learning and growth, not arenas for psychological torment. It’s a call to action for administrations, for faculty, and yes, even for the students themselves, to foster environments where dignity is paramount, and where the promise of education is never overshadowed by fear. For once, let's truly ensure that welcoming new students means fostering belonging, not forcing them into a traumatic charade.