Shanika first woman UGC head

January 24, 2013, 10:18 pm , the island

by Nilantha Madurawela

Professor Shanika Hirimburegama was appointed as the new Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. She is the first woman to be appointed to this post.

She is currently Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University.

She will assume duties as the new head of the UGC when the incumbent UGC Chairman Professor Gamini Samaranayake retires at the end of this month.

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.

pic

Moratuwa University (File Photo)

Non-academics on warpath again

January 20, 2013, 10:32 pm , the island

University non-academics are back on the warpath as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Salaries and Cadre Commission (NSCC) have failed to issue the circulars rectifying the anomalies in their salaries.

Spokesman for the Inter University Trade Union Joint Committee Wijayathilaka Jayasinghe told The Island that their executive committee would meet this week to decide their future course of action.

He said that when they struck in May 2012 the university authorities promised to issue the relevant circulars, but six months have passed and they have still not been issued.

"The UGC and NSCC did not accept our proposal to rectify the salary anomalies, but they promised a structure made by them," Jayasinghe said adding that now they were refusing to honour their promise.

He said that they were ready to discuss the issue with any government official, but did not get an appointment.

University non-academic staff, including administrative officers, have been agitating for several years demanding rectification of salary anomalies but had been cheated by successive governments, Jayasinghe said.

The Island made several attempts to contact Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne for comment, but they were of no avail.

Two sections of Moratuwa Uni. closed after fresh clash

January 17, 2013, 12:00 pm , the island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

 The Engineering Faculty and the Institute of Technology, of the Moratuwa University were once again closed indefinitely yesterday following a fresh clash between students of the two divisions on Wednesday night.

University sources said that four students had been hospitalized, after the clash and two of them were discharged after treatment.

Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Ananda Jayawardena told The Island that of the two still in hospital, one was warded at the Colombo National Hospital and the other at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila, he said.

The Engineering Faculty and Institute of Technology were closed on Jan. 02 after a clash and re-opened a week later to hold examinations. The Engineering faculty was re-opened only for final year students.

Prof. Jayawardena said that the cause of the latest clash was also an argument following a minor accident similar to that of two weeks back.

"We declared the university premises and hostels out of bounds for students of the Engineering Faculty and those following the National Diploma in Technology, to prevent further incidents," he said.

Prof. Jayawardena said that an inquiry into the previous incident was yet to conclude and a fresh inquiry would be held into Wednesday night’s incident.

However, the Engineering students claimed that around 40 NDT students had attacked them with clubs and iron bars at the male hostel.

The spokesman for the NDT students association told The Island that the dispute was a long-standing one as the Engineering students wanted the Institute of Technology moved out of the university.

Both sides had lodged complaints with the university administration and the police over the incidents.

The organisation for Equal Rights launched a signature campaign, at the Lion’s Auditorium, in Rajagiriya, to demand the release of four Jaffna University students held in detention. President of Inter University Students Federation signs the petition.

Pic by Kamal Bogoda, the island

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.

Moratuwa Eng. Faculty, Tech. Institute reopen after clash

January 11, 2013, 11:32 pm

By Dasun Edirisinghe, the island

 The Engineering Faculty and Institute of Technology of the Moratuwa University reopened on Wednesday after being closed last week, following a clash between students of the two divisions.

However, Vice Chancellor Prof. Ananda Jayawardena told The Island that the Engineering Faculty opened only for its final year students.

"We will open the faculty for all students next week," he said.

Prof. Jayawardena said that the situation was back under control, but the investigation was still continuing.

"We opened the faculty for final year students of the Engineering faculty first as examinations are on," he said adding the Institute of Technology opened for all students.The university premises and hostels were declared out of bounds for students attached to the Engineering faculty and Technology Institute to prevent further clashes after last week’s clash.

Eight students of the Engineering faculty and one National Diploma in Technology (NDT) student were hospitalized after the clash, which erupted in the university premises following an argument over a minor accident.

 

Peradeniya increases intake by 760

January 8, 2013, 9:29 pm , the island

By Cyril Wimlasurendre

KANDY – The University of Peradeniya had increased the intake of new students this year by 760. This number is in addition to the usual 2,500 new entrants, Vice Chancellor Professor Athula Senaratne said.

The additional 760 students would be taken, in complying with the Supreme Court order, issued following the 2011 Z-score calculation fiasco, according to Professor Senaratne.

The new term for the freshers will begin in March this year.

He told a media conference that a number of welfare programmes for the new entrants had been designed with the cooperation of the students council of the University.

No more ragging at Peradeniya - VC

January 6, 2013, 11:07 pm ,The Island

By Cyril Wimalasurendre

KANDY – There would be no more-ragging in the Peradeniya University from the beginning of the new term for the freshers, assured its vice chancellor, Professor Athula Senaratne on Saturday.

Addressing a media conference Prof. Senaratne said that the decision to do away with ragging was taken with the agreement of the students unions of the university.

The union leadership also agreed with the proposal to refrain from ragging new-comers in order to prevent hardship to the new-comers and also to prevent the discredit brought to the prestigious university, the vice-chancellor added.

Should Tamils be Loyal Sri Lankans?

By Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole, sundayleader

It is important for Sri Lankans to see that Jaffna attack in the context of an indeciplined military

Minorities are easy targets in a Sinhalese polity believing that no one else belongs. As Tisaranee Gunasekara has noted, UPFA ministers have attacked the Chief Justice for having Tamil lawyers – although Neelakandan voted for the BASL resolution against the Ban Ki Moon Report, it did not help him.

Thrishantha Nanayakkara has drawn our attention to an ITN programme where Minister Wimal Weerawansa makes much of the Court of Appeal bench ruling on the CJ matter consisting of two Tamils and a Muslim (whereas it really had one of each community, including a Sinhalese).

The Muslims too are caught up as hate campaigns are launched against halal food (ignoring that the rest of us have Poya food imposed on us by closing meat stalls on full moon days) and Muslims being successful at Law College entrance exams (ignoring that Muslims have preserved multilingualism, giving them an edge in English medium exams and those requiring wide reading).

Jaffna University

As Jaffna University is attacked and Douglas Devananda’s appointees manage it, the President has complained privately that Douglas with his thuggery is costing him support and he is looking for other Tamils to join him. The President is play-acting: his brothers speak against the 13th Amendment in general; he for it in India; and Douglas for it among Tamils. They are as thick as thieves and cannot afford to let go of each other because of each other’s dark secrets they carry.

Unfortunately some Tamils believe this charade. When Douglas’ VC was caught between army orders to reopen the university and adamant students who refused to resume classes before their arrested colleagues are released, she was desperate as her reputation among Tamils sank low. Believing that Douglas had lost clout, it was to the SLFP’s Jaffna organizer Angajan Ramanathan and Mr. Ramachandran (I believe from Germany) who runs ‘Tamil Buddhists’ that she turned. The meeting they arranged through Gotabaya with Jaffna Commander Hathurusinghe resulted only in her eating his Palahaarams (viands) as noted last week.
By-passed, an angry Douglas issued orders at his Pre-Council Meeting. At Saturday 29th University Council his appointees thundered: “Douglas can deliver. You should have called an emergency meeting.” Douglas then attended a meeting on Thursday with the Minister for Higher Education where the VC was asked to reopen after Thaipongal and bring the arrestees’ parents to Douglas who would ask his friend the President to release them. Will the President countermand his brother Gotabaya for Douglas? Is it a game to enhance Douglas?

Giving hope that Sri Lanka is still a viable nation, southern students Wednesday distributed posters in Colombo in support of their Jaffna colleagues, even as the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations planned a delegation of 20-30 members at January’s end to Jaffna, joined by the Inter-University Student Federation. As I feared that the government may use the IUSF presence to launch another attack, the IUSF president Sanjeeva Bandara himself was attacked in Kelaniya on the 30th. He has blamed the army.

Tamils Helpless

In the meantime Tamils without access to the law and order machinery or to the administrative apparatus in a Sinhalese state, continue to suffer. Bishop Rayappu Joseph of Mannar was questioned by the CID in an attempt to silence outspoken Tamils. Thuwarakeswaran, the brother of UNP MP Maheswaran who was shot dead in Colombo, had acid thrown on him at the Nallur Temple. Uthayan reports that in his police complaint he has identified the assailant as Governor G. A. Chandrasiri’s personal secretary and former military officer Jayakody who had fled the scene with four others and stated that Jayakody had been following him. The poor terrified fellow is in hiding.

Striking terror among Tamils, four-year-old Surendren Sudanththini was raped and her body recovered on the 28th from a well in Mandaithivu, controlled by Douglas and the Navy. Elsewhere, Dr E. Shivashankar, who went with a Tamil girl tricked into the army and her parents from Kilinochchi (Rudrapuram) after her OL exam, was detained on a certificate declaring the doctor insane! ENT Surgeon Dr Thirumaaran, who earlier had his arm slashed, has fled Jaffna.

Today as schools reopened there are reports that soldiers will compulsorily teach Sinhalese to Tamils in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. TNA MP Sritharan has questioned how Grade 6 qualified soldiers can teach. Education officials ran away from reporters pleading ignorance. The gimmick was sanctioned by a Presidential Working Group.

Paranoid Government

A young man, who placed flowers on his mother’s grave in Northeast Jaffna on Dec. 26, the anniversary of her perishing in the tsunami, was arrested, accusing him of celebrating the LTTE although it was December not November. I was invited to a Christmas party by Tamils from Windsor Canada and Detroit Michigan. As the meeting began a person suddenly called for 2 minutes’ silence for all who had died in May 2009. I saw no harm. Of the 70,000 estimated to have been killed by government forces in the UN Petrie Report, there were hardly 10,000 LTTE, the majority being children and the uncommitted forced to bear arms. It can therefore be safely surmised that most of the 70,000 killed by our army (whether in cold blood or by asking them to shelter in protected areas and then bombing them) were innocents. Those standing up continued to talk and were disengaged as at Tamil functions.

A general attack on Tamil university students by the army is, in my mind, as absurd as if the Canadian Government had decided to bomb that hall where we stood up to commemorate the dead in the name of fighting a banned terrorist organization. It is important for Sri Lankans to see that Jaffna attack in the context of a berserk military continuing its genocide.

Brigadier Ravi Ratnasingam

Ravi Ratnasingam has received headlines after his visit to North America during Christmas. Reports suddenly allege that he played a part in the massacre of 70,000 as the commander of Vavuniya from 2001.
From Royal College, he is one of few Tamils in the army and had a good reputation – especially in rehabilitation work in the Wanni after the war. His wife is an old girl of CMS Chundikuli and from Somasundaram Avenue. They are both extremely well-liked.

But to a private party thrown to him in New York, Major General Shavendra de Silva who is accused of war crimes flew all the way from Geneva. This association does no good for a Tamil who has helped many people get released from detention.

A pattern is emerging where the army is trying to find scapegoats for its criminal activity. Is the Tamil Ratnasingam being set up to take the fall for de Silva? We see the same thing in Jaffa where Hathurusinghe has suddenly said that about “1,000 ex-LTTE cadres have evaded rehabilitation and are currently engaged in criminal activities in the North.” This runs counter to his statement two years ago that the EPDP is responsible for criminal activities in Jaffna at a time when it was said that with so many checkpoints no robber can move about without army connivance, and he was trying to extricate the army.

Canada

In Canada for Christmas as Sri Lanka goes downhill, I must confess to second thoughts about having returned home. A few of us who had been happy in Sri Lanka returned. Today many of us have gone abroad again; at least our children have. I am pained for our failed dreams of home.

That pain and regret were underscored when the Rector of St. Paul’s l’Amoreaux in Scarborough, the Rev. Canon Dean Mercer, before pronouncing the benediction at the Tamil New Year Service conducted by Jaffna’s Rev. Isaac Selvaratnam and Batticaloa’s Mr. Vivekanandan, said this:

“The Canadian tradition at New Year was to make merry. After Tamils and West Indians came, I am glad it is now to be present in the House of God as the New Year dawns.”

Our talents and culture, so rudely rejected in Sri Lanka, are welcomed and used with appreciation, making me ask “Where is home?”