Cops fail to stop protesting U’grads storming Matara town

* Students protest against attack on Union president

January 17, 2013, 10:28 pm , The Island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

All efforts by the police, to stop protesting Ruhuna university undergraduates from entering the Matara town yesterday, were unsuccessful.

Angry undergraduates caused chaos in the Matara town and refused to put down a dummy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

They marched in protest against Wednesday night’s assault of the student union president by an unidentified gang.

Convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation Sanjeewa Bandara told The Island that the resident of the Students’ Council Harsha Gunawardena was brutally assaulted, at the entrance of Venura Edirisinghe Hostel in Welewatta, by an unidentified gang which had arrived in a black defender jeep.

"Our member is still warded at the Matara General Hospital," Bandara said.

He alleged that they have evidence to prove the attackers were government sponsored thugs.

This is not the first attempt to attack anti – government students, Bandara said adding that on several occasions, in recent months, their members had been harassed near the Eliyakanda Hostel in Matara.

Bandara said that undergraduates of the Rajarata University too, protested opposite the university against the assault of their counterpart in Ruhuna.

"We will protest opposite all universities today against the attacks on student leaders by government sponsored thugs," Bandara said.

Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Susirith Mendis said that a student was hospitalised with minor injuries and the university was conducting an investigation into the attack on a student at the hostel.

However, he said that the university administration would not justify politically motivated demonstrations or protest marches.

Matara police are also conducting a separate inquiry into the incident.