Permanent separation, answer to perennial clashes at Moratuwa Uni.

Separate institution for NDT students under  a separate Act - VCThree arrested students to be produced at identification parade - PoliceWe will boycott examinations until authorities ensure security  - engineering students
Despite IT being relocated, should be affiliated to Moratuwa Uni.  - NDT students 

January 23, 2013, 12:00 pm , the island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

The Engineering Faculty and the Institute of Technology of the Moratuwa University being closed indefinitely a week ago following another clash between the engineering undergraduates and the National Diploma in Technology (NDT) students has been a problem that has been going on for many years. The solution to the perennial problem appears to be in shifting the IT to another location as early as possible. A location has already been identified at Homagama, but the problem is the shortage of funds to build the necessary infrastructure.

The second clash and closure for the year came a few days after re-opening of the Engineering Faculty for final year engineering undergraduates and the Institute of Technology for all NDT students a week later.

Residents of the area said that although both student factions were the cream of the GCE (Advanced Level) mathematics stream, yet every year they clashed with each other which caused disruption not only to their education, but also to the community surrounding the University.

After bloody clashes, each year, both sides point the finger at each other for starting the violence. This time too, both student factions blamed each other and several elements including political parties, engineering community, intellectuals express their views in support of either side.

President of the Engineering Faculty Students’ Union, Maduka Sampath Chandrasiri told The Island their students engrossed in studies targeting final year examinations that were being held at the time of the closure of the faculty.

He charged that the NDT students wanted to sabotage the examination of the engineering faculty students.

"This is not a fresh battle, this is coming from a long time ago and we always become victims always," Chandrasiri said.

He said that this time too, four engineering undergraduates had to be hospitalised and one of them with serious brain injuries is being treated at the Colombo National Hospital.

Chandrasiri said that the university administration would have to ensure their security before re-opening the faculty.

He said that their union decided to boycott the examinations until authorities ensured enough security for engineering students.

"We discussed the situation with the Dean of the Engineering Faculty and the Vice Chancellor," Chandrasiri said adding that they would co-operate with the university administration to create a peaceful environment in the university.

However, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake blamed the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) for instigating NDT students to create trouble.

He said that the JVP breakaway faction, the FSP was now creating trouble in universities now, while and the Higher Education Ministry was working to stop all kinds of violence prevalent in universities.

"We are working according to the country’s laws and there was no room for anyone to violate those using undergraduates," Dissanayake said.

 Rejecting Minister Dissanayake’s assertions, FSP Propaganda Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda blamed the Minister and the Vice Chancellor of the university for being responsible for the recent clash.

"The university administration and the police simply failed to intervene appropriately to prevent the clashes," he said.

Jayagoda said that they did not need to take any side, engineering or NDT, but anyone has the right to engage in politics in universities.

Spokesman of the NDT Students’ Union Raveendra Ratnayake said that they were against relocating their institute without adequate facilities, including laboratories at the new location.

He said that even if the Institute of Technology was relocated elsewhere they wanted it to continue as an affiliated institution of the Moratuwa University.

"Our course was started first in these premises before the university came into being," Ratnayake said.

He said that under the provisions of the University Act No 01 of 1972, the University of Ceylon was established in 1972, incorporating all the existing universities and the Ceylon College of Technology as campuses of a single university.

Explaining the historical developments over the years, Ratnayake said the Ceylon College of Technology thus became the Katubedda Campus of the University of Ceylon.

Further changes in the corporate structure and composition were effected by the Universities Act No.16 of 1978. Under the Act, the Katubedda Campus of the University of Sri Lanka acquired the status of an independent University with its present corporate name ‘University of Moratuwa.

"If the authorities provided all the facilities and relocate our unit as an affiliated body of the Moratuwa University, we are ready to move out without unnecessary fighting," Ratnayake said.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Ananda Jayawardena said that the authorities decided to establish a separate institution for the NDT student outside the university under a separate Act as a solution to the problem.

For this purpose, a committee appointed in 2000 made their recommendations which were scheduled to be carried out within five years, he said.

Prof. Jayawardena said that the delay was due to lack of land to build the new institution.

"However, we got a 20 acre land for the purpose a few years ago at Diyagama, Homagama," he said adding that now it was being delaying due to lack of funds.

According to Prof. Jayawardena, the estimated cost of the project was US$ 89.5 million and an agreement was signed with a Chinese company for its construction in January 2012.

Meanwhile, he said that they appointed a retired judge to head the disciplinary committee to probe both clashes that took place between the two groups in the university this year and the police would conduct a separate investigation.

The Moratuwa Police said that so far four NDT students had been arrested in connection with the latest attack and three of them had been remanded till January 28, while one student had been released on bail.

"We will produce three remanded students at an identification parade on Jan. 28," Inspector Chammika Sampath told The Island.

IP Chammika said that the police had recorded statements from 33 students and 11 security officers so far and they would record statements of lecturers too.

He said that the police were on the lookout for more students on the basis of evidence recorded from various parties.

Meanwhile, the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) condemned the deplorable act of unprovoked, planned violence unleashed on the students of the country’s premier Engineering Faculty.

IESL President Eng. Tilak de Silva said that most of undergraduates were studying for their final year examinations on the night of the brutal and inhumane attack.

He said that those students were the cream of the GCE (A/L) mathematics stream, a national asset on which the nation has invested time and money.

"As the premier engineering professional body, we have the responsibility to safeguard the engineering profession and engineering education in Sri Lanka," de Silva said.

The IESL request the authorities at all levels to bring the culprits to justice and set an example to halt such destructive and inhumane culture that is engulfing the society, he said.

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Moratuwa University (File Photo)