In the wake of a student clash last month, President Maithripala Sirisena has guaranteed the ‘security and safety’ of all the students attending the Jaffna University.
During a meeting with the University’s Vice Chancellor Vasanthi Arasaratnam, academic staff, and several students and their parents last night at the Presidential Secretariat, Sirisena also requested the students to engage in their studies without any fear or suspicion.
“The government is fully responsible for the security and safety of the students, and we assure that steps have been taken to guarantee the security and safety of the students,” he said.
Sirisena also said that the police and other relevant security units have been informed of the sensitivity of the issue, and they have been advised to act sensitively to such incidents.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chancellor Arsaratnam also assured that steps have been taken to prevent such incidents from happening again at the university.
During the meeting, it was also decided to appoint a committee consisting of students and staff of the university in an effort to work towards the safety of the students in the university.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / August 5, 2016
” Frienship is friend China, when broken it can be mended, but the crack is always there”.
Wise words, I learned as a child. It is easy to break or destroy, but quite hard to remake. Let the hotheads at the University of Jaffna, among both the Tamils and Sinhalese, learn a lesson from this unfortunate incident.
I suggest the entire idea of a welcoming procession be scrapped. The nathaswaran-thavil and the Kandyan dancing – drums, will never go together in a musical sense. Both together will be jarring and very unpleasant to hear, while seperately enjoyable.
Let the new students be welcome with Pongal + Kiribath and Vadai +Kavung and ethno-specific cultural events held on stage, sequentially, so that all students can learn about each other and appreciate the differences.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Ruki / August 5, 2016
Dr. Rajasingham –
Welcoming process need not be scrapped as such, it’s been there for so many years, so if welcoming cannot be done in a combined manner, each year Tamil and Sinhala students can take turns to do it.
And there could be cultural events to suit each ethnicity as you have suggested.
And again the table could be laid with Dosai, Vadai,Idly, kiribath, kavun, kokis and if necessary some pani walalu and Samosas too and such simple gestures would go a long way to ‘mend’ the ‘cracks’ and bring about the social harmony that the Prez is focused with and needed so badly in the forward march of Sri Lanka.
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take_that / August 7, 2016
display of animal instincts!
Reputed universities of the world do not have welcoming ceremonies but by the end of semester we get to know who is who because there are an umteen number of clubs (non political & non trade union) within the campus.
Apart from drum beating and boasting that there is no better country
How many international figures in the sciences and technology have you produced?? None!
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sekara / August 6, 2016
Let us not forget that this “welcoming” business is humbug. It is an event organized to mask the nasty rag that follows.
The freshers should be left alone. They are mature adults and should be treated with the respect that they deserve.
Bullying by seniors has harmed our universities for far too long: leaving the freshers alone is the best form of welcome.
Cultural events of all races and religions are treated with respect by other communities in all campuses. There have been thriving Tamil and Hindu Societies and Muslim Majlises functioning in several universities in the South.
There is a place for everything. Cultural activity is serious business and trivializing it to mask the rag should be disallowed.
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Kumar R. / August 6, 2016
Indeed the welcoming is a humbug! It is done for two reasons – the administers and academics seeking celebrity opportunities, and the apple polishing students (seniors) currying favours by celebrating the administers and academics, using the arrival of freshman as an excuse for doing that.
I wonder if Rajasingham’s ilk were welcomed similarly at Peradeniya with “Kiribath and Kavung and ethno-specific cultural events held on stage, sequentially, so that all students can learn about each other and appreciate the differences.” Did the absence of that interfere with “learning about each other and appreciating the differences?”
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sekara / August 7, 2016
Kumar
These events are limited to the Faculty and inviting the academics is only to secure some form of endorsement of the curtain raiser for the rag. No academic or administrator gains any publicity in these events.
At Peradeniya the freshers’ welcome event is not a welcoming party with processions etc. It was a multi-cultural event in many faculties with a mixed population. The student’ unions never openly promoted communal hostility. If there was exception that was during the peak of war.
Despite some decay in standards, Peradeniya is still a very much secular campus.
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frankistine / August 8, 2016
When we read about world universities all we hear is kew gardens peradeniya.
I say, have you produced any of international stature in the sciences and technology to be pro or con for this stupid beastly acts to call it multicultural and secular??
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sekara / August 9, 2016
“…have you produced any of international stature in the sciences and technology…”
I have not. But Peradeniya has.
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frankistine / August 9, 2016
please give us names and designations.
i dont need things like sinhala or tamil booker prizes.
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rajamahal / August 8, 2016
“”” Frienship is friend China, when broken it can be mended, but the crack is always there”.”
Its called Chinaware not China. but you have not visited the British Museum recently where the mended shows no signs of the breakage- 21st century technology. Its like any form of sticking tape or plaster from japanese store do not show the marks at all once removed- it’s the technology.
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Pygmalion / August 5, 2016
Tamil students were beaten up in the Trinco:campus of the Eastern University,a few months ago.
Were there any such assurances given by the Head of State?
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ranjith / August 5, 2016
The rustic cheat needs to hear about Bras and Knickers been thrown about to ban To ban an event get rid of the president.!
Ban an event while lankan women sew these 2 items for export.
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sekara / August 6, 2016
What did the University do about it?
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Alfred / August 8, 2016
A stupid question. The answer is obviously bullshit the world a Sri lankan speciality Higanno’s begging bowl concept.
University World news.
Universities to take tough action against ragging
Colombo Page14 May 2016 Issue No:413
Sri Lankan universities have decided to take stern action against ragging and violence against female students after a freshman female student of the University of Kelaniya was assaulted by a group of senior students during ragging, reports Colombo Page.
Vice-chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, Professor Sunanda Madduma Bandara, said all the universities in the country would fully implement the charter signed by the Commonwealth University Union and the University Grants Commission to eliminate ragging and violence against women from the 12th of this month.
Addressing a media briefing about the recent ragging incident at the University of Kelaniya, the vice-chancellor said the University of Kelaniya would take action first to implement the charter. He said under the Universities Act, the offenders can be sentenced to two to five years in prison.
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KA Sumanasekera / August 5, 2016
HaHaHaHaaaa,
How can Bodhi Sira give orders to Poojithya when the latter is a card carrying member of the UNP?
Poojithya used all his powers to try and stop the Dalits who are the parents of these students,from coming to Colombo to express their displeasure about the hardships imposed on them by Batalana’s Yahapalanaya.
Failing that Poojithaya got on stage and threatened to smash them, if they carry on without listening to him..
And you should have seen his body language as well as the juicy selection of words to make those threats.
Can they, the same Dalits expect any better from Poojithaya for their kids?.
My elders just nudged and asked me about the Army.
I don’t think they can do anything nowadays with the Bedouin Prince and his supporters , Sambandan and his thambi CM watching them 24/7…
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Antany Peter / August 5, 2016
Educated fools who call themselves as deans, professors and lecturers are guiding the Tamil students into a wrong path, instead of encouraging the students to focus on studies and getting jobs. Those educated fools are getting government salaries and enjoying their foolishness, but this good governance government is too soft on those educated fools.
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K.Pillai / August 5, 2016
Antany Peter
Why this rantic-sermon only to Jaffna University?
If this Antany Peter goes to another Lankan university and offers advice, he will be rated imbecilic and kicked out.
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len / August 8, 2016
K P
No chance of Antnay joining any Uni: in any country in any capacity unless their is high demand for Self titled pseudo intellectual. He is unemployed live in Wellington New Zealand.
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jim softy / August 9, 2016
It is only the Jaffna university with the support of former faculty members intiated this obstructing the sinhala students having part of the ceremony and beating the sinhala students. That is how the Student – President of the Student Union involved in it.
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Antany Peter / August 5, 2016
Educated fools who call themselves as deans, professors and lecturers are guiding the Tamil students into a wrong path, instead of encouraging the students to focus on studies and getting jobs. Those educated fools are getting government salaries and enjoying their foolishness, but this good governance government is too soft on those educated fools
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words / August 5, 2016
Sira cannot guarantee anything.. he is just a puppet..
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simon / August 5, 2016
you do not know the meaning of words but you just borrow.
BodhiSira is a `wolf` selected by revolunitory Sobita. He does everything to please his clan and family.
If permitted by the west he would have gone shaven head and orange robes like Dali Lama to meet the Queen.
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K.Pillai / August 5, 2016
Should the student brawl be given national rating to warrant President’s involvement?
The President has left the matter in the hands of the VC. Quite rightly he has left NPC and the dreaded army out of this. Champika Ranawaka note this.
The staff of Jaffna University have contributed to defusing the tense atmosphere. The VC must tap their cooperation- start de-alienation.
Some students may try to use this incident to get transfers to other universities.
It is unfortunate a fertile happy hunting ground for agent provocateurs has got created.
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Paul_Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 6, 2016
Where was this man and his government when Tamil students were attacked by Sinhalese students, goons, police and the armed forces at the Trincomalee Batticaloa and Sabragamuwa campuses. I did not see any hue and a cry or offers of protection for these Tamil students. Now just because the Sinhalese students had run off from Jaffna with their tails tucked between their legs over an incidents that was their own doing. He and his government are smarting and dancing up and down to protect these racist Sinhalese lion cubs.
Trincomallee and Batticaloa are predominantly Tamil speaking Tamil majority areas, part of the historical Tamil homeland. Tamils are even not safe in these ancient historic Tamil majority areas, due to the huge presence of a Sinhalese only armed forces, police, and the presence of a huge naval base and the presence of large number of illegal Sinhalese settlers in these areas.
These racist Sinhalese students are now taking advantage of all these situation and now ruling the roost in these historical Tamil areas. When Tamil students and the general Tamil public were attacked by these Sinhalese students goons and the armed forces/police where was this Sirisena and his racist government that came to power, largely because of the Tamil votes?
Now Sinhalese Buddhist extremist racist elements emboldened by this huge presence of this Sinhalese only armed forces, police and illegal Sinhalese settlers who have arrived within the past 40 years, in Trincomallee and other parts of the east,are busy destroying ancient Hindu shrines in the Trincomaless district and other parts of the east and installing huge Budda statues and Buddhists shrines everywhere and claiming the area for Sinhalese Buddhists, with all sorts of concocted history. The huge Budda statue at the Trincomalee bus stand , that was erected overnight by extremist Sinhalese Buddhist elements and by the Sri Lankan navy personnel and the Budda statue erected in the middle of Tamil Vavuniya town in the north, are two very good examples of state sponsored Sinhalese Buddhist racism, to show the Tamils that are now a vanquished people, thanks to India Pakistan, Russia China and also many western nations, including the USA and UK and now the victorious Sinhalese race can do anything to them and even in their heartland.
The large scale destruction of many ancient Hindu shrines and at times Christian churches and the erection of Budda statues, everywhere in the north and east, is a show of this power. Hindu Lord Budda is now being used as a symbol and tool of victorious Sinhalese Buddhist racism over the largely Hindu native Tamils.
Tamils had always respected Lord Budda and Buddhism and during ancient times contributed a lot to Buddhism. However due to these actions their ancient respect to Buddhism and Lord Budda has now no more, as we now see Buddhism and Lord Budda as a symbol of our oppression, at the hands of a nasty vindictive racist people. How sad.
It was Tamil Buddhist missionaries and not Sinhalese who largely spread the message of Buddhism to most of Asia especially to South East Asia. Just look at all the ancient Buddhist/Hindu ruins in SE Asia, typically Dravidian and South Indian. It was a Tamil Buddhist monk called Bodhidharman belonging to the Pallava royal dynasty from South India, who introduced and spread the art of Shaolin to China and Japan. Even in ancient times all Buddhist monks in the Maha Vihara in Anuradhapura were required to be proficient in Sanskrit Pali and Tamil. Not Sinhalese as the language never existed at that time.
Many Tamil Buddhist monks contributed immensely to Buddhism in the island, as until the arrival of the Tamil Cholas around the 10-12AD, many Tamils in the island were also Buddhist. They gave equal prominence to Buddhism and Saivaism. All the ancient Buddhist shrines in the north and east were built by Tamil Buddhist and not by Sinhalese as now falsely claimed. It was only after the Chola invasions that Buddhism completely died of in the Tamil areas. Now due to these actions of these Sinhalese Buddhist extremist and armed forces,
Even the incident at the Jaffna campus was a deliberate provocative act by the Sinhalese students that was done at the bidding of the occupying Sinhalese armed forces. These Sinhalese students also display the same racist victorious mentality of the armed forces and have no respect for the local Tamil culture.
With the support of the Sinhalese armed forces and police, they wanted to do the same thing, in Jaffna that they had done in Trincomalee and Batticaloa to the local Tamils and Tamil students but failed miserably and had run away licking their wounds. This is why this Sirisena is now dancing up and down and wants protection for all students, which basically means protection for Sinhalese students only, as he never offered this or made this an issue when Tamil students were assaulted, even in their own areas.
By the way milk rice, Kavun, Kokkis are not really Sinhalese food but originated from South India. Tamils always boiled milk rice during auspicious occasions and call it Paal Chooru ( Kiri Bath in Sinhalese is the literal translation of this Tamil word) and during the Pongal festival they make it very rich by adding jaggery and other ingredients to make it a sweet dessert. The Sinhalese due to their ancient Tamil origin still follow this custom and tradition.
Go to South India, especially to Kerala and see Kavun and Kokkis being cooked during festivals and occasions . Kavun is called Kondai Appam or something similar by the Malayalee.
Kerala was Tamil until a few centuries ago. This is just for history, what is called traditional Sinhalese food, has largely its origin from Tamil South India. It is just a variation of traditional South Indian/Tamil food and customs.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / August 6, 2016
Paul,
I admire your grasp and insights of our history. However, please present it in less inflammatory terms.
I think the President has defused a potentially explosive situation very skillfully. What happened to Tamil students elsewhere does not justify even one Sinhala student being injured in Jaffna, whatever the provocation. To see a Tamil, who is a president of a university students union armed with a stout stuck and appear belligerent is not something we can take pride in. There is a way guests should be treated and guests should behave. There is no justification for what happened at the Jaffna University.
Dr. RN
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Paul / August 6, 2016
He did not seem to be diffusing any situation when the Tamils and Tamil students were at the receiving end of Sinhalese violence. You and he as well as the rest of the Sinhalese ,think violence meted out to the Tamils and to the Tamil students at the hands of the Sinhalese is something trivial and not worth bothering as they are second class citizens who should now be used to all the raping looting ethnic cleaning at the hands of the Sinhalese. However if this happens to the Sinhalese it is not acceptable as they are the ruling race. This is what is oozing out of your comment. Shame on you.
Did I ever state violence against Sinhalese is justified? I am only pointing out at the two different standards of justice used for the Tamils and the Sinhalese by the ruling Sinhalese establishment. However why blame the Sinhalese when we have Tamils like you who think the same way.
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Dr,Rajasingham Narendran / August 7, 2016
Paul,
‘Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth’!
Is this the basis of the new gospel/ testament you are laying out for the Tamil
Dr.RN
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Paul-Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 8, 2016
Stop trying to twist everything I post to suit your agenda. Asking for justice for the Tamils does not mean I am seeking revenge on the Sinhalese. Why have I advocated anywhere to kill murder and harm Sinhalese. I Am a Brahmin and do not believe in violence, however a real Brahmin is not afraid to state the truth.
Despite being a Tamil, you have subconsciously accepted your second rate or third rate status in the island and believe the Sinhalese run state ideology that violence against Tamils either state sponsored or by individual is acceptable, can be ignored and need not be punished, as it has happened all these years. However violence against Sinhalese however trivial is not acceptable and should be punished, even if they perpetrated and instigated the violence and other were forced to react. This is what your post implies you trivialise the violence perpetuated against the Tamils and Tamil students and state it does not matter and to add insult to injury state what happened to the Sinhalese students in Jaffna who perpetrated this violence problems matters.
Coming from a Tamil it is shameful. Your statement is like many whites in the USA stating violence against blacks does not matter, only violence against whites matters. Black lives mater and Tamil and Tamil Muslim lives also matter, not just Sinhalese. However you are not a white or Sinhalese but a Tamil trying to trivialise and condone and ignore violence against Tamils but not against Sinhalese. Instead of condemning violence against every human or animal and demanding impartial justice for all not just for Sinhalese only the main perpetrators of this violence.
Tamils have no one to safeguard them other that Tamils, not the Sri Lankan state the international community India or the Sri Lankan armed forces.
The Sinhalese on the other hand, have everyone looking after their interested the Sinhalese led government the armed forces the police, the Tamil hating Indian establishment and many in the international community for their own selfish agenda.
When violence against Tamils and Tamil students was committed in Trincomalee Batticaloa ( Tamil areas) and in Sabragamuwas it was treated as something trivial and not newsworthy as the victims were Tamils and they do not matter, just like you imply. However look at the reaction when the Sinhalese who started the violence and problems in Jaffna had to flee. It became headlines and the entire government as well as you are wanting revenge and justice for these racist Sinhalese thugs. Why because they feel Sinhalese and Sinhalese lives matter but not Tamils.
You are shamefully even trying to stifle and stop few Tamils who are brave enough to question this. Shame on you.
You are well known pro Sinhalese appeaser here. First siding with the Rajapakse regime and have now switched your alliances to the Sirisena regime. All these pro Sinhalese appeasing by many Colombo based Tamil elite is the main cause that the Tamils find themselves in this predicament.
Violence is not the answer but keeping quiet is also not the answer
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cat with 9 lives / August 7, 2016
Paul, [Edited out] once commented on CT that :to have sex northern men do not pay destitute tamil women but the army men pay for sex.
So my question to him was do you make tea in your pyjamas?
He replied the woman GA told me that.
He is taking vengeance on the populace like Karuna, Douglas KP etc.
Its easy to destroy the weakest because all he knows is animals.
He even went to the extreme extent of housing northern folk in western beach huts and wanted them to change their lifestyles.
When the indians arrive (ETCA) he will commit suicide like islamist because his training was just at Saudi treating mainly camels to make a few extra $$ as Canada refused to entertain him even after qualification.
The president only bans knickers and bras because they are export items but will not ban ragging as at prestigious Indian institutes.
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sach / August 6, 2016
LOL untrue propaganda with historical untruths again and again
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Ela kolla / August 7, 2016
“historical untruths again and again “
LOLZ, Higanno same DNA as his and your lokka Goat boat.
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Paul-Real Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 7, 2016
How can Sirisena diffuse the situation when the occupying racist Sinhalese army is going around increasing tension by illegally stealing and confiscating lands belonging to Tamils and building Budda Statues and temples on former ruined Hindu temples or on lands belonging to Hindu temples. The latest act by the Genocidal Sinhala military is constructing concrete structures surrounding a Buddha statue erected by it inside Kanakaampikai-Amman temple. First ask these genocidal devils to stop all these acts and agitating Sinhalese students to demand prominence to Sinhalese Kandyan dancing in Tamil areas. We Tamil people are sick of all this nonsense
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sach / August 7, 2016
Four students were hospitalised after attacks and one had serious injuries in his head. Still noone was arrested and punished. Under yahapalana those who attack sinhalese are well protected
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Emanuel / August 7, 2016
what goes around must come around.
free education for all was set up to educate the poor in the art of revolution for a island seeking power and glory without working towards it.
Tell us of one person who of international acclaim who came from your campuses??
go back to your days of plantation worker and send more of your women to ME.
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