'He Was an Introvert, Liked Reading Books': JU Teacher Remembers Ragging Victim

'He was a quiet child,' Joydeep Ghosh, head of JU's Bengali Department, told The Quint.

'I remember him standing up on the day of the orientation to introduce himself and tell everybody which books he liked to read," Joydeep Ghosh, Head of the Bengali Department at JU, told The Quint about the 17-year-old ragging victim. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint) 

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Days after an undergraduate student of Jadavpur University (JU) died after allegedly being ragged by seniors in the men's hostel, the Bengali Department – where he was studying – still seems to be coming to terms with the tragic incident.

"He was a very quiet child. I remember him standing up on the day of the orientation to introduce himself and telling everybody which books he liked to read," Joydeep Ghosh, Head of the Bengali Department at JU, told The Quint about the 17-year-old student, who attended classes for only a few days before allegedly falling to his death from the hostel on 9 August.

While Ghosh did not personally take a class for him, he said that he met the victim along with other freshers on all days since they joined the university.

Department of Bengali, Jadavpur University.

(Photo: Sakshat Chandok/The Quint)

"On the first day of the new term, we had created a WhatsApp group which included all the freshers and teachers of the department. I remember that he (the victim) used to ask a few questions on that group about the course and the classes. But he was not very active on it. He was an introvert."

Joydeep Ghosh

Entrance to the victim's classroom.

(Photo: Sakshat Chandok/The Quint)

'We Are Taking Steps to Reassure Students'

However, Ghosh said that while the entire department, including the victim's classmates, were shaken in the initial days after the incident, efforts are being made to reassure them and slowly get back to normalcy.

"After the incident, we spoke to first-year students again and again, knowing that they must be very shaken and anxious. Every day, we have been speaking to them and asking them about their mental state even outside the classroom – almost like a routine," the professor stated.

He also said that the guardians of each student were contacted individually and apprised of the situation.

Meanwhile, the department is scheduled to hold two programmes within a week for the well-being of the freshers.

The first will include an interaction between students and a professional counsellor, during which the former will be encouraged to speak their minds freely. The second will be a formal meeting between members of the faculty and guardians of the new students.

"For those guardians who cannot attend physically, we will conduct a meeting online," Ghosh said.

When asked whether he had seen or heard of ragging-related incidents in the department, Ghosh said that he had not.

"After the tragic incident, we repeatedly asked students whether they had had any such experiences. But all of them said that they had not," he said.

The professor further added that while the incident was a big blow to the department, he felt reassured due to the trust that parents had placed in him and other teachers to ride out the storm.

"There is a first-year student who comes to campus from a faraway place in Hooghly. After the incident, we asked her to freely tell us if she had any fears. She said that she did not, but expressed her desire to stay home for a day – which we permitted. The next day, however, we were surprised to see her in class. When asked why she did not stay home, she said that her father had encouraged her to attend classes and had personally come to drop her to the campus. This shows that guardians have immense trust in us, and that's what keeps us going."

Joydeep Ghosh

'He Was a Gentle Soul, Loved by Everyone': Victim's Family

However, despite the faculty's best efforts, gloom continues to prevail over the Bengali Department – as the psychological impact of a batchmate's loss lingers on.

"I didn't get to speak to him (the victim) much, but from what I gathered, he seemed to be a very shy and quiet person," Nabaneeta (name changed on request), one of the victim's classmates, said while remembering him.

The Quint had earlier spoken to the victim's parents, who said that their late son was a "gentle soul".

"My son was a gentle soul. He never argued or took up fights with anyone. We were planning a grand birthday celebration for his 18th birthday on 31 October – but now, all of that is gone," his mother had said.

The family hails from Ranaghat in West Bengal's Nadia district – nearly 80 kilometres from Kolkata. While his mother is an ASHA worker, his father is a bank employee.

Meanwhile, the victim's maternal aunt told The Quint that he was loved by everyone.

"He was a quiet and disciplined child. We never heard him talking disrespectfully with anyone. He was very friendly with other students but used to come directly home without spending time with any of them."

Victim's aunt

She also said that it was his dream to study at Jadavpur University, as it is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in India.