Undergrads build up protest momentum

February 17, 2014, 10:11 pm , the island

By Dasun Edirisinghe

Undergraduates from all universities have planned protests in Galle and Colombo today and on Feb. 20 against reducing the Allied Health Sciences (AHS) degree programme from four years to three and disrupting their agitations.

Addressing a media conference in Colombo yesterday, Convener of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), Najith Indika said that AHS students attached to the Karapitiya Medical Faculty had been staging a sathyagraha against the reduction of the duration of their degree course opposite the Galle bus stand and it would reach the 50th day today.

"We have organised a protest in Galle to coincide with our Sathyagraha entering its 50th day," he said, adding that the university authorities had not yet heeded the pleas of AHS undergraduates.

Indika said that another sathyagraha was being held at the Galaha Junction by the AHS undergraduates of the Peradeniya University.

The protesters have also organised a protest march to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and a demonstration on Thursday (20).

He said they would not give up the ongoing sathyagraha opposite the Rajarata University in Mihintale against the suspension of 27 undergraduates.