"On finding out that Naavarasu had died during ragging, David dismembered his body with surgical precision..." 😭

Beauty and the Beast | 23rd November 1996

An Awesome Beauty Pageant and a Gruesome Murder

#memoriesfromdiaries

[This day, 28 years ago from my daily diary entry]

Well, this I guess is one of the benefits of writing your daily diary consistently – it helps you look back on your past posts with a whiff of nostalgia, on the daily events of your good ol’ past – the things that you have Seen, Heard and Read, and the swoonworthy/ newsworthy events from the day’s newspaper that you have faithfully transferred to your daily diary for posterity’s own sake - and when you read it today, 28 years later – you feel like events of the past come to life with flesh and blood, right in front of your Mind’s Eye – with such a ‘reality of representment’ – helping you re-live those past memories right into the present!

Indeed, as critic Scupin Richard says, our past conditions our present and ably directs our future.

And as Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita –

Whatever happened, happened for the good; Whatever is happening, is happening for the good; Whatever will happen, will also happen for the good only!

On this note, here’s wishing all ye diarists godspeed as well! 

Coming back -

Well, this particular day had two newsworthy/noteworthy events!

The first one is -

On this particular day - 23rd November 1996 - the much-hyped and controversial Miss World 1996 pageant got underway at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.

[Controversial, because, some critics and protestors were dead against the concept of hosting beauty pageants in India, since they felt that such pageants represented women in a way that was culturally inappropriate. 

There was also widespread accusation on the pageant that, women were objectified and used merely for entertainment. Some among the protesters even tried self-immolation, and one person died in the protest as well. 

With such a strong backlash, the swimsuit competition was hence moved to the Seychelles Island.]

Interestingly, this 1996 edition was the first time India had hosted the Miss World Pageant, with representatives from 88 countries participating in the pageant.

Ms. Aishwarya Rai, the Miss World 1994, from India, was a judge in Miss World 1996.

The stage design - reminiscent of the 14th-century ruins of Hampi - was done by Sabu Cyril.

Miss World Greece (Miss Hellas), Irene Skliva, 18, was blue-crowned Miss World 1996 and till date, Irene remains the only woman from Greece to have won the Miss World title.

The 1996 Miss World Pageant in India

28 years later, this year marks the return of the beauty pageant to India, [in March 2024], the second time the event was hosted in India, when Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic was crowned Miss World on 9th March 2024 in Mumbai, India.

The second news that hogged the limelight for this month - November 1996, was the gruesome murder of Naavarasu, a first-year MBBS student (with Annamalai University’s Raja Muthiah Medical College in Chidambaram), by his senior John David.

Since one of our family friend’s son was studying in Annamalai University, and I had chanced upon him today - with all curiosity - I had asked him on how the incident had happened, and he narrated the shocker of an event and its aftermath to me in such detail. 

The ghastly murder had happened since Naavarasu, (son of the then-Vice-Chancellor of University of Madras) refused to comply with the inhumane demands of John David – where Naavarasu was asked to strip and lick footwear. 

On finding out that Naavarasu had died during ragging, David dismembered his body with surgical precision and threw his body parts in various places. 

The chilling murder led to a huge public outcry, forcing the Govt of Tamil Nadu to ‘Act’. Tamil Nadu hence became the first state in India to criminalise and ban ragging in educational institutions, with the passing of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1997.

Sadly, and ironically, almost three decades later, today, even as I am typing out this post, I also happen to read about yet another shocking incident that had shell-shocked the whole of India this week.

Anil, a victim of ragging, with his sister

Anil, a brilliant student (who had scored 550 in NEET without taking any coaching classes) died within a month of joining medical college, after being ragged by his seniors in his hostel in the nights on 16th & 17th November 2024. Police have arrested 15 second-year students for the murder of their junior.

Although the Ministry of Human Resource Development under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education, Government of India has time and again emphasised on the punitive measures and the ban on ragging in educational institutions, it is quite unfortunate that, the menace of ragging still continues unabated in most of the institutions across India.

On an aside, it is quite heartening to note that, the parents of Pon. Naavarasu, [the innocent victim of ragging], have started a noble initiative - The Pon Naavarasu Trust, the very next year (March 1997) with the following noble ideals enumerated below - 

The School founded in Naavarasu's Memory

It is imperative to stem the tide of disillusionment among the youth of our time. It is possible for every socially responsible citizen to make a small beginning however humble it may be, and help generate an ethos and a milieu conductive to what Jonathan Swift long ago called " sweetness and light ". 

As a Chinese proverb goes, "Even a thousand-mile journey must begin with a single step".

To shape a generation of fine citizens who will be conscious of their role in enriching society and life. The trust will take up projects that will assist aspiring youth to enrich one's life through the appropriate application of Science and Technology coupled with the inculcation of cultural, ethical and moral values. 

The prime objective of the PON NAAVARASU TRUST is to bring about a change of heart and foster a humane disposition of the mind. 

It is hoped that in the long run such values will percolate and might even create a movement turning the young people in positive directions. 

With such a large ideal in view the trust plans to develop/run educational institutions, motivating students towards an inner culture by strengthening a sense of fellowship among them.

The Trust has also started a school called, Pon Naavarasu Matriculation School to foster their noble ideals.

More on their noble initiative can be found on their website HERE.

Giving here, a diary entry by Naavarasu, which is so heart-rending, on why he wishes to become a medical doctor in the future, written by him on 11th March 1993. 

Pictures are from: Naavarasu Trust Website/ The New Indian Express / Miss World Website