[Apurv]

Update - our views on why we did this story and the larger picture behind it

IIM Calcutta and XLRI Jamshedpur - two premier known business schools in eastern India clash every year for a much-anticipated sports meet. Incidentally, that is also the time when the campus cultures at both these schools stoop to their lowest. Read the rest after you watch the video.





Click here to Download the video

This is a video of women students from IIM Calcutta 'welcoming' the XLRI Jamshedpur team.

If you're thinking that this happens in the heat of the competition, wait up. We're told by IIM Calcutta students, that the women students are formally coached by a stalwart from the second year in the skill of the most tasteless abusing months prior to the event. With a lot of glee, a few XLRI students and alumni tell us that they pay IIM Calcutta back in the same way. A search of Youtube.com reveals more examples of the high vocabulary passed on as 'culture' from second year students to first year students.


All of us at the PaGaLGuY office were appalled at the video. But we were aware that a lot of people will justify it using one or more of the following arguments.

"What is so shocking about it? Don't we see it everywhere these days? Movies, TV, what have you? Sab chalta hai yaar."

"You're shocked because it's women who're abusing. Had it been men you would be okay. You clearly believe in a male dominating society."

"Why don't you also look at the good things these institutes do? Just because they hurl abuses at mothers doesn't mean they're bad people."

We strongly felt that these arguments were heavily misplaced. We talked to a few students from both these institutes and came to one conclusion - B-schools with traditionally male-dominated batches have created large pockets of tasteless campus culture, which haven't changed since the number of women increased.

In cases of videos such as this one, ordinary people from good backgrounds choose to let go of their poise to indulge in mindless crass behaviour just so that they can fit into something they can't change.

This is not however limited to just IIM Calcutta and XLRI Jamshedpur - a lot more campuses of prestigious B-schools have their own versions of tasteless acts classified as culture, often bordering on the perverse as this example from IIM Ahmedabad (as reported by an alumnus) is.

We spoke to IIM Calcutta's Dean of Programmes and Initiatives Prof Saibal Chattopadhyaya, who chose to distance himself from the video and seemed more concerned if the video was uploaded from IIM Calcutta servers. Asked if he was worried about what he saw in the video and had subsequent concerns about the campus culture within IIM Calcutta, he said, "I have to verify first if these students (in the video) are indeed ours but until then I can't say anything."

What we want to ask is, are we okay with our country's taxpayer-funded educational institutions being utilized this way? Can these campuses ever compete with Harvard and Oxfords of the world? Most importantly, is this the right thing and are you okay with what you see?

More importantly, what makes people create these traditions? What do we classify as wrong and where do we draw the line? Do we even need to draw a line?

We think that we should, but we'd like to know your views. Feel free to post your comments below or on this thread.

[Rajagopal]

Originally Posted by Apurv

IIM Calcutta and XLRI Jamshedpur - two premier known business schools in eastern India clash every year for a much-anticipated sports meet. Incidentally, that is also the time when the campus cultures at both these schools stoop to their lowest. Read the rest after you watch the video.





Click here to Download the video

This is a video of women students from IIM Calcutta 'welcoming' the XLRI Jamshedpur team.

If you're thinking that this happens in the heat of the competition, wait up. We're told by IIM Calcutta students, that the women students are formally coached by a stalwart from the second year in the skill of the most tasteless abusing months prior to the event. With a lot of glee, a few XLRI students and alumni tell us that they pay IIM Calcutta back in the same way. A search of Youtube.com reveals more examples of the high vocabulary passed on as 'culture' from second year students to first year students.


All of us at the PaGaLGuY office were appalled at the video. But we were aware that a lot of people will justify it using one or more of the following arguments.

"What is so shocking about it? Don't we see it everywhere these days? Movies, TV, what have you? Sab chalta hai yaar."

"You're shocked because it's women who're abusing. Had it been men you would be okay. You clearly believe in a male dominating society."

"Why don't you also look at the good things these institutes do? Just because they hurl abuses at mothers doesn't mean they're bad people."

We strongly felt that these arguments were heavily misplaced and speaks of complacency in a bar that has been set really low. We talked to a few students from both these institutes and came to one conclusion - B-schools with traditionally male-dominated batches have created large pockets of tasteless campus culture, which hasn't changed since the number of women increased.

In cases of videos such as this one, ordinary people from good backgrounds choose to let go of their poise to indulge in mindless crass behaviour just so that they can fit into something they can't change.

We spoke to IIM Calcutta's Dean of Programmes and Initiatives Prof Saibal Chattopadhyaya, who was concerned if the video was uploaded from IIM Calcutta servers. Asked if he was worried about what he saw in the video and had subsequent concerns about the campus culture within IIM Calcutta, he said, "I have to verify first if these students (in the video) are indeed ours but until then I can't say anything."

What we want to ask is, are we okay with our country's taxpayer-funded educational institutions being utilized this way? Can these campuses ever compete with Harvard and Oxfords of the world? Most importantly, is this the right thing and are you okay with what you see?

We don't think so, but we'd like to know your views. Feel free to post your comments below or on this thread.

lol!!! context my dear friend its all about context...this is XL-IIMC we are talking about and you need to be an jokar or xler to understand that this is just friendly banter and nobody gives a damn abt it b4 and after the meet...

All the women, culture, tax payer funded institute talk is just blowing things out of proportion and context..but it defnly does make for sensational reporting

anyway FYI...
1) No body forces the women to participate in the abusing...no serious does not happen.
2) IMHO xlri atleast has for a long time nvr been male dominated
3) No it is not a male female thing as you try so hard to spin it. No sir no fish
4) Do you think such things dont happen during in Oxford-Cambridge boat race, Yale Harvard games???

[spirit11]

Well, The first word that I am sure which will come to anyone's mind after watching this candid video will be 'Despicable' and to hear that from girls and that too from one of the top management Institute of India,I mean it just cant get nastier than this,can it..?

Now,forgive me if I am being judgemental or so but most of you will agree that this kind of behavior is not expected from boys leave alone girls be it at school level or at the very top post graduation level,now whatever may be the reason for this kind of reception to the other team,this cannot be justified,rivalary is good but mud slinging of this lowest kind amazin,i didnt know that more than 3lac Indian students every year fight there hearts out to get into these institutes without knowing that at the end of the it,they will be landing up into this..IIM-C is a terrific institutes and I am sure pagalguy coming with this video will not dent too much of its brand value,but at the end of the day the students studying there should show some sense of dignity towards the brand that they are representing,the years of traditions that have passed thru there terrific insti but if they as confident of there attitude so as to go on bad mouthing anthr team and brazen enough to record it and upload it on youtube,i say IIM-C should better take notice of it.

and as far as tax payers money is concerned well i really dont think in India anybodys gives a damn shit of what happens to it...be it politicians,bureaucrats...and now mgt students..its all taken for granted..and IIM competing with harvard and oxford...well lets leave this debate for someother time shall we...

In the end I would like to say only this,whatever may be the reason for this nasty episode it just cannot be justified.

Thanks.

[saurav_das83]

This video has been doing the rounds of you tube for awile now....whatever the case it does not warrant glorification ( either ways) in any form.

[polpot]

Poise. Its all about that. We do not expect educated people to be indulging in such crass behavior. But its about poise. Its about some group of people abusing and them being tutored by seniors at a reputed institute. Its neither a robbery nor a rape. If people behave in such behaviour its at their own risk of being judged by others. If no action (which would be a light punishment) wasn't taken on the spot, then its over! I can understand your point of this being put forward as a part of the culture at XLRI and IIMC but for me it all comes down to individual decisions. You participate in it fully knowing if something like tghis spreads in your name, you will be judged. Thats about it. We all do things without really thinking them over (that is the definition of humans). Most of these things are small and you learn from them. Why blame the college for this. It was an individual choice of these students and they decided for doing it. So be it.

@Rajagopal
Just because it happens at Yale and Harvard and where else how is it justified? Anyway, i agree with you, its just that this point was irrelevent. Its too small an issue to be blown out of proportion.

[DJK]

Originally Posted by Rajagopal

lol!!! context my dear friend its all about context...this is XL-IIMC we are talking about and you need to be an jokar or xler to understand that this is just friendly banter and nobody gives a damn abt it b4 and after the meet...

That's true. XLers and Jokers must have particularly refined tastes in order to appreciate what's going on in the video. I have heard of culture-sensitivity training programs as part of induction into reputed organisations. Do these Bschools have a desensitisation programs that make students not give a damn. What you construe as "friendly banter" is juvenile and not really befitting someone who aims to get into the crčme de la crčme of the Indian and international organisations.

Originally Posted by Rajagopal

All the women, culture, tax payer funded institute talk is just blowing things out of proportion and context..but it defnly does make for sensational reporting.

Excellent damage control. Why shouldn't tax payers have a say in what goes in Bschools when their hard earned money goes into educating ill behaved potty mouth brats at the A-list Bschools? And since when did PG get into the media rat race to resort to "sensational" reporting, may I ask?

Originally Posted by Rajagopal

anyway FYI...
1) No body forces the women to participate in the abusing...no serious does not happen.
2) IMHO xlri atleast has for a long time nvr been male dominated
3) No it is not a male female thing as you try so hard to spin it. No sir no fish
4) Do you think such things dont happen during in Oxford-Cambridge boat race, Yale Harvard games???

I am curious to know what constitutes "serious". I am guessing that dignified behaviour is a bit much to ask from students who spend year after year first training to get 99.99% in CAT, subsequently read a lot of literature to sound smart in GDs and Personal Interviews. I mean once you get in, who could care about how you carry yourself as long as you beat your classmates to bagging the highest paid job, right? :sarcasm:

[anurag12singh]

Ah! The replies reek of smugness. And the 'no big deal' attitude.. But why target just XL and IIMC, this 'friendly banter' is rampant in all engineering colleges.. And considering that the bulk of the junta in these management institutes comes from engineering colleges, you would expect such behavior.

Many other things, which are noteworthy as well as praiseworthy too, happen in Yale and other places. I never heard anyone saying that since Yale students put in so much effort, I will put two times that effort...

[andy_jaan]

There are points and then there are issues.
About Abusing (as an art/habit/need/etc.)
I don't think this video is even anywhere close to what we see in engineering colleges day in and day out (at least in North) where shouts from ground floor to someone on third floor like "Sharma jaldi aaja beta teri Amma bula rahi hai Automata ka test lene ko" starts the proceedings and sets tone for the whole day. So I guess there's no major connection between the amount (and degree) of abusing skills and someone's personality or intellect as one has to look beyond primarily on the context and requirement to map an abuse to the abusers general behavior. No wonder most of abuses have no literal meaning or biological justifications
Ya but like other intoxicating or excitement creating substances/activities abusing too can just be seen as a medium to take you on high (of performance both constructive or destructive)!! Remember unprintable expletives are common norm on sports field.
So anyone who can smoke,drink,dope,indulge in other basic instincts
can actually abuse and one's sex, qualification or background are often irrelevant there. But now as its an IIM please don't miss a bit extra synchronization and zeal in the shouting group.
Comments as asked:-

Originally Posted by Apurv

What we want to ask is, are we okay with our country's taxpayer-funded educational institutions being utilized this way?

Tax-payer's money? Oh common, this is the most in-expensive fun poor gals are getting now does this involves tax payer's money :huh: And please don't suggest anybody has got into IIM outwitting other "sincere" candidates by abusing I guess in the same order someone can actually ask students all over country to stop playing "Holi" also inside campus as that litters/damages Campuses built by tax payer's money :huh:

Originally Posted by Apurv

Can these campuses ever compete with Harvard and Oxfords of the world?

Not deem myself fit enough to answer this at present.

Originally Posted by Apurv

Most importantly, is this the right thing and are you okay with what you see?

About being Okay, well yes I am, I am as Okay as I am with smokers or drinkers inspite of being teetotaler Here being Okay doesn't mean am proud of it or would try contributing but this is the basic responsibility of carrying respect towards other people's freedom and allow them to enjoy till the point they don't offend anyone. So in nutshell yeah I don't drink my self but that doesn't mean I would think twice before investing in a rising wine share. Afterall am okay and love making profit.

Originally Posted by Apurv

We don't think so, but we'd like to know your views.

Now what's the point in giving personal view and biasing public opinion towards one side Apurv no need to mention that we love your work but I guess this is one of the rare moments of miss. :neutral:

Originally Posted by Apurv

Feel free to post your comments below or on this thread.

Done Sire
One query for admins:-
Now as I have (tried to) answered all the question I wonder what exactly this thread is for and how can this be placed as an article with those well defined and purposeful articles on the home page. I mean I hope admin is clear enough of the objective of this whole exercise as I doubt if this will add/subtract even an iota to IIMC's brand value or fan following at all. :huh:
Andy
P.S. After seeing video twice poster is slightly petrified of meeting "the Gang" and hence can be biased. :huh::huh:

[sumitrocks]

[polpot]

Originally Posted by anurag12singh

Ah! The replies reek of smugness. And the 'no big deal' attitude.. But why target just XL and IIMC, this 'friendly banter' is rampant in all engineering colleges.. And considering that the bulk of the junta in these management institutes comes from engineering colleges, you would expect such behavior.

Many other things, which are noteworthy as well as praiseworthy too, happen in Yale and other places. I never heard anyone saying that since Yale students put in so much effort, I will put two times that effort...

Well, for one, you called the replies smug but you refuse to elaborate why and instead go on to say it happens everywhere. Could you clarify?

And two, let me clarify. My stand is simple. We can't be policing and judging everything. For me these students did not show grace and thats it. It may be horrible in someones books(like yours, im assuming) or no big deal in someone elses.