Professor N.L.A..Karunarathne, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jayawardhanapura, deserves our gratitude
Posted on September 25th, 2010
By Charles.S.Perera
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Professor N.L.A..Karunarathne Vice Chancellor of the University of Jayawardhanapura deserves every decent citizenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s gratitude for keeping the Jayawardhanapura University free from the ordeal of ragging.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ragging of the students entering the Universities in Sri Lanka on the first year of admission, had reached intolerable, ignoble, savage, and putrid levels putting to shame our predominantly Buddhist country .
The senior students behaved like street rowdies, in the most degenerate manner towards the undergraduates, putting to shame these institutions of knowledge, where future administrators, scientists, philosophers and rulers of the country are made, trained and recognised.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The girls are the centre of the disrespectful rowdy elements where chivalry, decency, and simple respect is thrown into the air and the women students are treated with disgrace, bringing forth their indecent vulgarity with which they expect to be the redeemers of these simple, modest, gentle women some of them from modest homes where even harsh words are not used in the treatment of their children, taking them into the realm of intellectual hierarchy.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The most filthiest of Sinhala vocabulary is used in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-speakingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to these undergraduates to welcome them on their arrival, and the women undergraduates are made to repeat those filthy words. The girl undergraduates are made to stand with their legs apart, while the male under graduates are made to go under their spread out legs on their backs. This is done in the name of ragging to elevate the young undergraduates in to the domain of higher knowledge. As Udul Premaratne of the University Students Federation says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦for students to fall in love and behave as loverƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Lanka Truth -22.9.2010)
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Some of the most vulgar, crude, cruel and indecent ragging committed by these thugs strengthened by their numbers against the women undergraduate are not spoken of by the victims through shame of the ordeal they were made to go through. These undergraduates, victims of these ordeals, may carry these psychological wounds through out their lives.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These disgraceful ordeals of ragging became common only after the advent of the JVP politics into University campuses. Even today it is the JVP that is responsible for the ragging and break down of discipline and respect towards the Vice Chancellors and teaching staff.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For parents and children the Advance level examination is a strenuous period. When the results are announced they are eager to know whether their children have got the required number of As or Bs to qualify to enter the Universities. Thereafter, when the students have been selected ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..the students hate to go to the Universities, some suffer from nervous break down, and others refuse to get admitted.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All that is because of the fear of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-raggingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ they have to face. And the knowledge that the seniors(JVP ) in the Universities are preparing to receive them the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-victimsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ perhaps to satisfy their putrid perversions. The argument the raggers proffer is that ragging prepares the undergraduates, men and women, to face the rigors of life after the University.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But according to Udul Premaratne a representative of the University Students Federation , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦there are opportunities in all universities for students to fall in love and behave as lovers, there is no such opportunity for students at Sri Jayawardenepura University.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ This statement it self shows the moral depravity of this manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mind.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This time with the anti-ragging act the University of Jayawardhanapura became the first rag free University. The undergraduates admitted to the Jayawardhanapura University who were suffering from the sadness of separation from their home and family, strained and nervous on the thought of having to face ragging were greatly relieved when they found that they are free from the evil, vulger ragging ordeal at the Jayawardhanapura University.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This was greatly due to the perspicacity of the Vice Chancellor Professor N.L.A.Karunarathne of the Jayawardhanapura University. The children as well as the parents are greatly relieved and thank the Vice Chancellor profusely for this most praiseworthy step taken by him to stop ragging in his University.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The only people who seem to be angered by the lost opportunity of ragging the young graduates and satisfy their depraved desires are the vulgar elements represented by Udul Premaratne of the University Students federation, the individual who had stated to the media, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Despite there are opportunities in all universities for students to fall in love and behave as lovers, there is no such opportunity for students at Sri Jayawardenepura University.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ( Lanka Truth-22.9.2010)
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This shows their secret desires, and confirm the existence of most lowly methods of ragging. The undergraduates do not come to the Universities to find ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-loversƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as Premaratne had declared but to study and become learned men and women without having to live with psychological scars, inflicted upon them by the depraved ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-seniorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the likes of Udul Premaratne.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Udul PremaratneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement was given publicity in the Lanka Truth which is the JVP internet News media. This shows that the University ragging is being sponsored by the JVP. Universities are where they get their recruits to the Party.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the picture showing the stage from which Udul Premaratne was making his statement was also seated a man in a yellow robe. If it is a Buddhist Monk, he should know that discipline is important in Buddhism, that is why the Buddha prepared the Vinaya- Buddhist disciplinary rules.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If that man in the yellow robe with Udul Premaratne is a Buddhist monk he should get all the Buddhist monks in the Universities to speak against ragging and persuade people like Udul Premaratne to keep away from this most vulgar , indecent and depraved practice of ragging the undergraduates, which is not in keeping with the Buddhist tradition we hold sacred, and which is against our Culture.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is the culture of a nation that differentiates one nation from another. Therefore, in respect to our culture which has its beginning in our religious background, we should preserve the dignity of the place where we pursue higher knowledge, respect also the dignity of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-woman hood ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in our society.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Love and sex may be lightly treated in the Western civilization, but that is their culture. But yet, in the Western Universe such depraved and indecent ragging as practiced in the Universities of Sri Lanka are not heard of.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Everybody knows that Udul PremaratneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s campaign against the Vice Chancellor is baseless. He is another Lal Kantha in the University. Lal Kantha is doing lot of political damage with his Trade Unions, while Udul Premaratne seems to be emulating him to destroy the University education in Sri Lanka with his University Students Federation.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If Premaratne continues his campaign against the Vice Chancellor legal action should be taken against him under the respective Act. That would be in the interest of the higher academic education of Sri Lanka.
September 25th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Inter University Student Federation was the brain child of Mahinda Wijesekera, the then President of Vidyodaya University in 1969/1970, just to brief the readers on history. A meeting of all student leaders in all 4 Unis. was organised through Philip Gunawardene with the then PM Dudely Senanayake (yours truly with my friend Piyasena met Philip to get this appointment) We had one of most tumultous periods in the history of Unis and had to have joint force to tackle the grievances, exasperated by UNP thuggery. Ragging one of the curses we passed down down the history took a new turn with Samjawaadi Sangamaya, the propaganda wing of JVP, to recruit new students by forcing them to listen to ‘lectures’ by SS. Although we never physically abused new undergrad girls, later this became a norm with increasing sexual frustration among uni students. Some did commit suicide. Even women began abusing women a tragic turn around. One approach which could have worked was to open the Uni. to all new students one week before the seniors arrival, as they could fortify theselves in the ‘new’ environment which is most threatening for people from especially rural areas. Even ‘innocent’ ragging should not be encouraged which continues as a revenge tactic – (api guti kava – api than return thenava)and must be totally banned and students expelled, who commit this anti-social act, for others to a learn a lesson. If Udal P represent IUSF, and if he reads this we must bluntly state that he is an insult to this union which was formed to achieve far noble goals than to engage in petty ragging and he is an insult to pioneers who did sacrifice their time, effort and sometimes their degrees to better the undergraduate lives in Sri Lanka.
September 25th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
One other point I forgot was – when we met Philip (who worked with the UNP as a Minister of Dudley’s cabinet) the first question he asked was ‘ Thamuse communist karayekkda?’ I said ‘ no – I am in the science faculty we do no party politics.’ Imagine the Father of Communism in Sri Lanka asking this question! When I met Dinesh during the 13th Amendmant debacle, I mentioned this to him and he laughed.
September 26th, 2010 at 3:25 am
‘Ragging’ is bullying. There should be anti-bullying legislation, not just in universities but also in schools and work places. Bullies are sadists who are generally weak personalities who get their perverted desires satisfied by watching the victims suffering. Sunil Vijaya, is there any point in telling U Premaratna, he will be contesting with the JVP in the next election. Fortunately, no JVPer will be in the next parliament. Hurrah!
September 26th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Charles !
A very informative presentation. Nothing but the TRUTH. Please permit me to present my point of view.
Professor Karunarathne’s grit, resolve, and strategy, should be emulated by all the Vice Chancellors in Sri Lanka.
The parents of a Student, who enters the University, look forward to their siblings, attaining the highest echelons of Learning, and step into the world with great finesse. These are the ultimate expectations of these loving parents.
They would never dream of their children using raw sinhala filth, and participating in perverse, sadistic acts, as a University Student.
Ninety percent of the Students does not belong to the Rowdy category. It is my point of view that only TEN PER CENT, act in this ROWDY manner as reflected in this article.
Now, what is the motivating factor that makes these students act in this manner ?
a) They may be coming from homes, where filth is a part of the vocabulary used, which could lead to perverse mentality. OR
b) They may subjected to outside influences, making them very vulnerable, and to be submissive. OR both a & b.
It is very clear that the outside influence is from the JVP, which has been the very bane of University Education, from time immemorial. They are a set of HOOLIGANS, who are ruining the lives of youth, University or otherwise. They are bunch who should have been decimated long time ago, and it is in the horizon. They are the MURDERERS who killed many an innocent youth, and on a path to ruin the future of many a youth, stepping into the halls of learning, and unsuspecting youth looking for some pleasant future.
Enough is Enough, and formidable deterrents, have to be promulgated in parliament. Suggestions :-
Total BAN on political activity in all the Universities, whether JVP, UNP, or UFPA, or other.
Total BAN on politically affiliated Trade Unions in the precints of the University or otherwise.
Total Ban on RAGGING in all instituitions of Learning, concept upheld by Law and Order, without bluff.
Total BAN on political interference, in all institutions of Learning, and such interference be exposed by Media.
UNIVERSITY IS A PLACE FOR LEARNING, AND MOULDING MINDS TO BECOME EXEMPLARY LEADERS OF
THE FUTURE OF SRI LANKA, AND OF THE WORLD.
WHILE SRI LANKA’S PROGRESS IS BEING JET PROPELLED, WE DO NOT NEED ROWDIES HOVERING AROUND AND NOT TO FORGET, IN PARLIAMENT TOO.
Hope the Minister of Higher Education, take cognisance, of all the views expressed in all the articles reflected above, NOT FORGETTING TO BAN RAGGING IN THE MOU’S ENTERED INTO WITH THE FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES ENVISAGED.
Borrow the concept with great humility, vis-a-vis……….. LEARN OR DEPART. add;- BEHAVE OR BE KICKED OUT.