'Seniors forced me to give them massages...': Dutee Chand on how she was 'harassed' in sports hostel

Ragging can severely dent an individual and his, or her, confidence in facing the gruelling outside world. It leads to depression and various other issues. Recently, Indian sprinter Dutee Chand opened up facing ragging and how it mentally affected her during her days in the sports hostel in Bhubaneshwar.

Dutee opened up on the entire incident while responding to a user's post, on Facebook,who asked for tips on how to negate ragging in educational institutions.The 26-year-old said, "Seniors used to force me to massage their bodies and wash their clothes at the sports hostel. When I opposed them, they used to harass me."

The revelations from Dutee camea day following an 18-year-old Ruchika Mohanty's suicide, a history undergraduate student from Cuttack, due to ragging. She had written in her suicide note that she was mentally tortured and ragged by threeseniors and, hence, committed suicide after not being able to take it anymore.The suicide has led to ahuge controversy in Odisha, with several reactions pouring in from all corners.

Sharing more horrifying details on being ragged, Dutee further opined, "The incident had an impact on my mental condition. It is very difficult to remain focused on sports after the incidents of ragging and those who survive this stay in the hostel. But many give up and go back home."

"When I used to complain to the hostel in-charge, I used to be scolded. It used to take a mental toll on me. I was helpless at that time," the Olympianadded.

A lot has been said and written about the ill effects of ragging upon individuals. While strict measures have been added in many educational and other institutes, it still remains a major issue in various places. One can only hope for sanity to prevail and ragging can come to an end eventually.