Jaffna University students – rights, privileges and obligations
Posted on December 22nd, 2012
Asada M Erpini
On 21 December, the local media reported that the Higher Education Ministry will go ahead with the construction of hostel facilities for the undergraduate students at Jaffna University. There was also a report on the same day that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” fondly referred to by the media as the major Tamil political party, although it may only be major in comparison to the one-man show of the Colombo-based Democratic People’s Front (DPF) ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” is going on a hunger strike demanding the release of Jaffna University students who had been arrested. One redeeming feature of the hunger strike fortunately, at least for the TNA MPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s, is that it is not a fast unto death.
The writer has been associated with universities in many of the world during his professional career. Except for the oil rich Middle East, no country, in general, offers free education right up to the end of tertiary education in the university free of charge to aspiring university students. Many students in the UK today who qualify for university education tend to opt for other avenues as the higher education fees are excessive even for the local British. The majority of those who choose to pursue undergraduate studies usually end up with massive bank loans that financed their time as undergraduates.
India has schemes to help the underprivileged through scholarships and other such forms of assistance. But the large majority of the students have to pay tuition fees, which many parents can ill afford, to pursue university studies. In the Philippines, the cost of university education is so prohibitive that many students who have the capability, the intelligence and the desire to be doctors can only think of ending up as laboratory technicians or nurses.
University students in Sri Lanka do not appreciate the value of what they have got: a resource limited country such as Sri Lanka spending its meagre finances to provide free education is a privilege beyond oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s dreams.
It has been reported that the undergraduate students at Jaffna University were arrested for violent behaviour. They are alleged to have thrown stones at the police and Molotov cocktails at an office. No country in the world will tolerate such unruly behaviour, and the logical consequence has to be arrest and being detained until the inquiries are complete. The TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hunger strike is just another act that the group is putting on for the benefit of the so-called international community that comprises a handful of affluent nations.
Labelling a killer gang that bled Sri Lanka and massacred thousands of innocent civilians of all ethnicities and religious faith over nearly three decades as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Great heroesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Maveers) is blasphemous. Commemorating their deaths on the birthday of their leader is unpardonable, and is not a matter that the peace-loving Sri Lankans will condone.
Let justice take its course. If the arrested are innocent, they will be released. TNA, for a change, can spend its energy on law-abiding Tamils and not shed bucketfuls of tears on behalf of violent youth who knew what they were doing and what could be anticipated.
And in the meantime, the university students, especially those at Jaffna University, would do well to understand their rights, privileges and obligations.
December 22nd, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Simple question..
Should we tolerate mourning for the LTTE barbarians?
NO!
Germany will NEVER TOLERATE MOURNING FOR NAZIS. We should do the same.
Identify those involved and take stern action. The Sri Lankan taxpayer should not pay for their education.
December 22nd, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Looks like Tamil separatists will be getting their very own 100% Tamil engineering faculty.
Well will our brainless politicians realize that even building the pyramids will not win the hearts of Tamil racists.
The one and only solution to the problem in Sri Lanka
1. ABOLISH 13A
2. ONE NATIONAL LANGUAGE – SINHALA
3. NO ETHNIC GHETTOS
4. KICK OUT THE EXTREMISTS (Tamil racists and Wahabis)
December 22nd, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Those university students any where in Sri Lanka who do not attend lectures for a certain number of days engaged in political activities should be expelled from the universities.
University students should not be allowed to participate in any political activities inside the campus premise.
Student unions should be only allowed to involved in student welfare, not in politics.
Jaffna university should not be only for the Tamils.
If so there should be Sinhala only and Muslim only universities.
There are no universities for one ethnic group in any country in the world.
It is time Tamils learn to be part of Sri Lnkan society or they should “Bugger Off’.
December 23rd, 2012 at 8:56 am
A large part of Sri Lanka’s wealth is used up annually for FREE Education & Health Care. None of these facilities are offered in Tamil Nadu for their Tamil people.
Who spends on the FREE Education & Health Care ? It’s the TAXPAYERS of Sri Lanka, mainly Sinhala people. Generally speaking, the people who spend on various items get to have a say on how their money is to be spent. The Tax Payers who pays for all these FREE items must get together, along with all peace loving People of Sri Lanka and DEMAND that the suggestions made by
mjaya & Sarath W. be implemented.
What do the Sinhala people and other Tax Payers get in return for offering these FREE facilities ? Where is the GRATITUDE toward Sri Lanka, the nurturing country for Tamil people, for FREE facilities ?
At present, Sri Lanka is educating her Northern Tamil people to work AGAINST the country is itself ! It appears to us that various outside forces are governing these Tamil students.
December 23rd, 2012 at 1:01 pm
I should to say ” …..is educating at Taxpayer cost some sections of her Northern Tamil people who work AGAINST the country itself”.
December 24th, 2012 at 12:49 am
Cowards. afraid to face the truth.
December 25th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
A large part of Sri Lanka’s wealth is used up annually for FREE Education & Health Care. None of these facilities are offered in Tamil Nadu for their Tamil people.///////
There should be a logic in the above statement. First why we should talk about Tamilnadu instead of Sri Lanka. Northern tamils have the same right that of Southern Sinhalese. They have a long history in this land similar to Sinhalese. Both tamils and Sinhalese have origins from India. Majority of Sinhala people benefiteed than tamils. We burnt the jaffna library and non of the criminals were charged under a law that clearly states such act is immoral, illegal and violation of human rights. You must understand that tamils also pay tax like sinhalese. There is not single penny paid by Sinhalese used by tamils. The tax money paid tamils were used to built up a sinhala force (99.9% sinhalese) , Sinhala police force and employment.
It is not the northern tamils work against the country. It is the racist sinhalese they sold the country to China and India. Our roads belongs to Chinese, Our harbours belongs to Chinese. Our buses beongs to Indians. Just think. Pirapakaran fought against foregin Indians whereas we have surrended to Indians and Chinese. What happened to the army commander who fought against Terrorism. Our state is now run by LTTE (K.P, Karunaa, Douglas).
December 25th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
The 99.9% Sinhalese Armed Forces was taxpayers money well spent for ridding our motherland of the LTTE barbarians.
Any one who mourns for the LTTE while enjoying free education does not deserve it! They should be identified, punished and revoked of this precious privilege. The same should apply for those working for the JVP agenda while at university.
December 26th, 2012 at 3:13 am
If ethnicity based standardization is introduced, this problem will automatically recede. Taxpayers come first before the consumers of taxpayers generosity.
December 26th, 2012 at 4:18 am
The 99.9% Sinhalese Armed Forces was taxpayers money well spent for ridding our motherland of the LTTE barbarians.
You have the right to call tamils as “barbarians” because the state allows you to do even to kill a tamil without any reason or burn a library without any reason.
December 26th, 2012 at 5:13 am
Kakai can you read straight buddy?
The LTTE were barbarians, so were the JVP during 1987-89. There is no mention that Tamils are barbarians.
1983 July was a disgusting act, but don’t forget that many Sinhalese people risked their lives to save innocent Tamils. The burning of the Jaffna library was also a disgusting thing to do by the political idiots at the time. Again don’t forget that numerous Sinhalese people contributed to rebuild it. When innocent Tamil civilians were saved from the LTTE during the last stages of the war, all Sri Lankans united to provide food and clothing to them.
So Kakai are you willing to condemn LTTE suicide bombings? Will you condemn the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Sinhalese people from Jaffna? Will you condemn the killing of Hon. Lakshman Kadiragamar? I won’t be surprised if you don’t!!!