RECENT reports about a “birthday tradition” at a Selangor secondary school baffle the mind, and deserves to be filed under the “what-in-the-world-were-they-thinking?” category for future reference.
To recap, students of a secondary school in Bukit Jelutong allegedly assaulted a schoolmate as part of a “birthday tradition”. The violent ritual was recorded and quickly became viral. Police detained nine students of the school following a police report by the “birthday boy”. They were later released on police bail.
The assault was said to have taken place on Feb 8 about 11am. The video shows the victim being punched, kicked and hit with broomsticks by a group of classmates after they sang “Happy Birthday” to him. It was reported that the assault is a tradition practised by students in the school to "celebrate" a student's birthday.
This episode raises many questions, which the authorities will no doubt leave no stone unturned to answer. These include what steps teachers and fellow students could have taken to prevent this, and why it took so long to come to light when the assault allegedly happened in February.
But, what I want to know is, who’s bright idea was it to start this tradition in the first place? What could possible be the rationale? Is it a rite of passage, to prove their manhood? Really? If you can take a beating without defending yourself, you’re a man?
Is it a bonding ritual, to form a sacred brotherhood of men who collectively share cherished memories of being beaten up on their birthdays? It’s not enough to be an alumni of a respected institution any more? A secret handshake would be simpler. Or — perish the thought — did someone look up the incorrect definition when told “let’s plan a birthday bash for our friend?” and went with “strike hard and violently”, instead of “a party or social event”?
The thing about rituals is, once you start, it’s difficult to stop — especially when pain, embarrassment, or loss of dignity is involved. Continuity is part of the package, no matter how absurd it may seem.
Imagine that first day the “birthday bashing” tradition started. Somebody must have said: “Don’t worry. Today it’s your turn. You’ll get the chance to kick and punch others when it’s their birthday next time.”
That’s the promise every victim in this perverted practice wants to collect. That also ensures that the cycle will continue, until someone is so badly injured that it shocks them all to their senses.
On another level, it’s also depressing to realise that as birthdays go, the Selangor school beating is not even among the world’s most strangest birthday traditions.
In North Korea, no one is allowed to celebrate their birthday on July 8 or December 17. Those dates are strictly reserved for the anniversary of the deaths of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. As a result, about 100,000 North Koreans celebrate “displaced” birthdays every year.
In one Papua New Guinea tribe, children who turn seven are taken away from their families and entrenched in an all-male hut for the next 10 years of their life. During that time, they undergo nose bleeding, forced vomiting and defecation to rid themselves of ‘impurities’ and become men.
Even as a rite of passage, the Selangor school’s “birthday bashing” doesn’t hold a candle to some of the severe tests in other cultures and countries.
In Australia, adolescent Aborigine boys are sent to live in the wilderness for as long as six months. It’s not a camping trip, but a spiritual journey to trace their ancestors, which include navigation instructions and ancient wisdom encoded in songs.
To become men in the Amazon’s Satere Mawé tribe, boys have to wear ceremonial gloves filled with stinging bullet ants, for at least 10 minutes. The pain from a bullet ant’s bite is 30 times more agonizing than the sting of a wasp.
This is not to say that the Selangor schoolboys’ ritual is harmless by comparison. Far from it. The aforementioned practices in Papua New Guinea, Australia and the Amazon have some significant spiritual and historical context to them, passed on through generations.
Singing “Happy Birthday to you” and then assaulting the guest of honour as he lies on the ground in pain has no context, no class, and no lingering lesson that will bind them together into manhood.
Instead of celebrating , these boys have regressed to a less civilised era. Next time, just get a greeting card.
Lokman Mansor’s New Year resolution is to disconnect from the Internet more often this year, and appreciate the real world. He can be reached via lokman.mansor@nst.com.my