Student monks in sathyagraha outside UGC

February 21, 2012, 9:45 pm , The Island.

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Student monks, from the Buddhist and Pali University, yesterday commenced an indefinite Sathyagraha opposite University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Higher Education Ministry at Ward Place after failing in their attempt to enter the premises demanding a discussion.

Bhikkhu undergraduates marched to the UGC from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura at around 10.00 a.m. against the government’s alleged move to close down the Buddhist and Pali University.

As ministry officials refused an unscheduled discussion, they waited there for five hours before starting the Sathyagraha, forcing traffic along Ward Place, between Borella and Town Hall, to be held up for about two hours. The traffic congestion extended to surrounding areas too.

President of the Students Council of the University, Ven. Panama Ananda Thera said that the university administration had yet to enroll the new batch which included around 100 Buddhist monks.

According to him, every year the Higher Education Ministry enrolled the new batch in January but this year’s batch had yet to be enrolled even at the end of February.

"The government is going to close down the university without recruiting students," Ananada thera said adding they would protest against it.

He said that the university administration suspended 30 of their colleagues when they protested against the ministry’s delay in enrolling the new batch of students.

The ministry did not even announce a date to enroll the new batch, the student monk said.

Secretary to the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that interviews to enroll the new batch were being held at present.

He denied the student monks’ claim that the government was attempting to close down the university.