I
must relate three of my own experiences, one in Ceylon and two in UK.
The information is not second hand.
I was the Junior Cadet Team in a Catholic school but refused to join the Senior Cadet Team in a Buddhist School few years later and I was caned and hit with a sturdy hibiscus pole by the Vice Principle (luckily the sports master was related to me) twice but stood firm and my goal was to enter the university, not to become a officer cadet.
In defense of him, I must say he helped me when the gang of teachers orchestrated a organized scathing attack personally on me.
I
took a challenge with one of them, and said “you got to leave this
school”, if I get to the university without their help.
Suffice is to say all of them left within six months.
Suffice is to say all of them left within six months.
I
of course took the security of informing the School Inspector well
in advance of the University Entrance.
I was more interested in physics even now but their harassment made me to take the easy option of joining the biology stream.
I
was good in physics and mathematics and would have made it through,
if I did the mathematics stream as well, with little bit of luck.
In
the Peradeniya university, I escaped the ragging during English
course.
I
finished my English test half an hour early and ran away before the
guys came in.
Did
not bother to attend the medical examination.
Within
the university we formed a group in the first year and made sure our
group (including few seniors, one who was national boxer from my
school) was never outnumbered.
In
a way I had a body guard.
He
only wanted few beers for action.
Within
a few years we were polishing Pilsner, Lion Larger/Stout, Three
Coins, Gin and Tonic, Mendis Special and never arrack but V.S.O.A
as a DMO.
Kithul (Palm) Toddy on return journey was my fee after a postmortem of a putrefying body with the help of police.
Story One-1
One
of my classmates invited me (no accommodation offered) in East
London.
He
pushed me to the 6th beer (not Ceylon mugs) which was one
more than my small stomach could manage.
I
pretended to be “vomitish’ but held it until we went from the bar
to the third floor of his quarters.
He
was living with a Malaysian girl.
I
went to bathroom to void urine and came out and put everything on the
new carpet deliberately (I could have done it in the toilet).
Message
was indirectly clear.
A
good friend won’t push a guy over the limit.
I
slept on the floor and that was the last time I met him in UK.
I
politely invited him for a dinner at my hospital (without alcohol),
when I got my first job in UK.
He
never reciprocated.
This
is the ploy, I learned in Ceylon.
If
somebody invited me for lunch (never accepted dinner) with spirits, I
made sure I did exactly what I did in London.
No
invitation again and I never took even a sip (exception liqueured
chocolates), my entire clinical career while on duty.
Story Two-2
Then my coho (Co-Senior House Officer) Kurian (Indian) who is no more got me to strip to my underwear in my first job in Barnsley in his quarters in front of the nurses (the nurse who was well prepared with many layers of cloth) and the competing nurse would take one layer at a time.
I did not see her bare breasts (middle age woman).
I
felt it was a bad joke (jockey) and stripped completely before her turn
spoiling their planned crescendo and said why don’t you measure my
penis when erect.
Nobody played a practical joke my entire life in UK, thereafter.
My New Zealand time, no similar episodes but I used to devise my own practical jokes in the first three months and never after.
I
must say I captained the University Hockey team that beat the
National champion in penalty shoot out.
No
player was harassed during three years of my tenure but I was
harassed in the first year solely, due to jealousy.
I have my own ways taking vengeance in a subtle way.
Hazing is seen in many different types of social groups, including gangs, sports teams, schools, universities, military units, and fraternities and sororities. The initiation rites can range from relatively benign pranks to protracted patterns of behavior that rise to the level of abuse or criminal misconduct.
Hazing is often prohibited by law or prohibited by institutions such as colleges and universities because it may include either physical or psychological abuse, such as humiliation, nudity, or sexual abuse.
At education establishments in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, this practice involves existing students baiting new students and is called ragging.
