Colombo Telegraph has published two reports (Report 1 and Report 2) on the developments in the election of the new Vice Chancellor at the University of Jaffna. After many bitter years of stagnation, many people have come to see the University as the obstacle to openness and progressive change. This is evident in the fear of the mere the candidacy for VC of Prof. Sam Thiagalingam, who has had a successful academic career in the USA.
Prof. Sam Thiagalingam
Apart from the fear of an outsider (who in fact graduated from the University of Jaffna), there is anxiety that he might champion reform that all know is necessary.
Adding to the palpable excitement over the council meeting tomorrow (25th) that would decide the fate of Thiagalingam’s application, the University Students’ Union (USU) and the Employees’ Union (EU) have joined forces with the University of Jaffna Teachers’ Association (UJTA) and the Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association (JUSTA) to demand the acceptance of Prof. Thiagalingam’s candidacy for the VC’s position.
How dire the situation is could be seen in the University’s inability to reform even when an opportunity presents itself. For the 2014 VC election the present VC and the EPDP that earlier controlled Jaffna paced the border of intimidation to dictate how each councillor should cast his three votes. Thanks to the regime change in 2015, this time there has been no intimidation by political parties and the election has descended to the market place. Reckless promises are being made to canvas votes as though the new vice chancellor would own the University. With the Chancellor reportedly not in the best of health, his office has been thrown for auction into the market place. Candidates have been known to promise university positions not only to those who would lobby for them, but also to their spouses.
These manipulations show the extent to which recruitment to university positions has become corrupted. As the Employees’ Union points out in its statement of yesterday, there was a promise of reform with the change of government in 2015, reports of abuses were submitted to the Council, the UGC and to state functionaries, and had inquiries proceeded as promised, we would be in a different position today.
The Students’ Union, deferring to the current reality in the University, instead of confronting the Administration head-on, ask in its statement for a re-evaluation of Thiagalingam’s application for the position of vice chancellor and to take due steps to erase the ‘disgrace’ into which the University has fallen. The fear among student leaders to take up this issue was quite visible, for the fear of victimisation.
The University Employees’ Union which represents the non-academic staff of the University of Jaffna has, in its statement, expressed its displeasure over the moves to reject a well-qualified candidat[e] on the grounds that [his] application reached the University a day after the deadline. Concurring with the statements issued by the University of Jaffna Teachers’ Association (UJTA) and Jaffna University Science Teachers’ Association (JUSTA), the Employees’ Union notes that it would like to be informed about the procedure followed and the tasks carried out by the Search Committee appointed by the Council for the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor. The Union also requests the Council to give adequate time to Prof. Sam Thiagalingam (without mentioning his name) to present his vision for the University [to the University community] if his application is accepted.
In the first half of the statement, the Employees’ Union notes that since the mid-1990s, politicians who have held power have appointed self-seeking individuals who had no qualms about acting as the former’s puppets as Vice Chancellors of the University. Giving a detailed account of the last VC election held in 2014, the statement reports that at a pre-Council meeting held at the office of a political party prior to the election, instructions were given to the Council members as to whom they should vote for.
The statement notes that although new external members were appointed to the Council in 2015, irregularities in recruitment continue even today and questions prepared for recruitment exams are leaked to known persons. The statement adds that students continue to face vengeance and that there is no safety for female students in the University at present. In such a context, the statement cautions the Council members to decide carefully as to whether they should vote for their second and third preferential candidates. The Union makes this cautious remark as its members are of the view that some candidates for this year’s VC’s election, if elected, may take the University back to the 2008-2014 period when the administration of the University was heavily politicized.
In the meantime, Colombo Telegraph learns that three VC candidates. namely Prof. Mikunthan, Prof. Vigneswaran and Dr. Raviraj, have informed the Council in writing that they have no objection to have Prof. Thiagalingam as a fellow candidate in the VC’s election though the latter’s application posted from the USA reached the University two days after the deadline. The University Council meets tomorrow, the 25th of February when it is expected that a decision on Prof. Thiagalingam’s application will be made.
Well-wishers of the University and the larger public are closely watching this crucial election which will decide whether the University will get a new leadership that will be supportive of the efforts taken by a section of the academic and non-academic staff over the past six years to fight corruption and protect academic freedom in the university.
Mallaiyuran / February 28, 2017
As EPDP has been running the administration the past, there is a good chance “UoJ is generous with its travel expenses”. But the question is if that generousness tactfully set up for the Paramilitaries to claims or is its designed to attract service oriented people?
Here the “promptly” is an expendable word, without any reimbursement or translation. But ever the case it can be, the officer who answered has denied paying the travel expenses fully, to Dr. Nesiah as the reason of 15K travelling allowance.
I wonder if somebody is confusing between traveling allowances and Travel Expenses. Is the travel expense’s maximum limit is 15K or only travel allowance 15K, but no travelling expense allowed? Could somebody bring here the provisions of travelling reimbursement? But in either case Dr. Nesiah has a case of university not reimbursing his expenses PROMPTLY.
I wonder if the 15K is paid for the council’s local members also, but if they have used another residential address of outside Peninsula. Further promptly paying an allowance within one or two weeks is another translation needed matter. It looks like up to this write up Nesiah was not yet paid. If that is not being paid within that time, I hope nobody will declare that “I don’t know the paid date. I was not the bursar, “as it was in Bahu’s arrears case.
For example, if the travel distance more than 50 miles, then the claimant gets paid. On the 51st miles he gets reimbursed for all 51 miles. In that circumstance there are no local and long distance differences (all 51 flies construct the long distance). In multi days conferences, claimant is recognized as had come from long distance, and would not have local residence and then payed for lodging, meal and local travel.
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Running Commentary / February 28, 2017
When Lawyers Lack Legal Substance
The public’s common sense was violated and their estimation of the University and UGC plunged to an abysmal low, after they gave greater importance to a postal freak, than to Thiagalingam’s scholarly attainments, in order to block his candidacy for VC.
On 25th Feb. Prof. Tharmaratnam expounded to the Council the Postal Rule, so that Thiagalingam’s application was completed when he gave it to the post office on 27th December. Sivasegaram shouted at him, “We do not want to waste time listening to amateur lawyers.”
Sivasegaram pretended not to see the difference between the Law that is notionally infallible, and a lawyer, too often fallible.
Since the end of January clarifications on the admissibility of Thiagalingam’s application have been sought from the lawyer on the Council, the University’s Law Department, Colombo’s Law Faculty, the UGC’s legal division and a retired senior member of the Attorney General’s office. They mainly replied in the negative or were non-committal.
The correct solution, the Postal Rule as applicable here, which cleared Thiagalingam’s candidacy, was found independently by two non-lawyers. Prof. Tharmaratnam found the rule in Christopher Weeramantry’s book in the university library. Dr. Jeyakumar found it by Google search.
We have become victims to the arrogance and insatiable pecuniary demands of lawyers lacking legal substance, and the initiative to chase up answers to problems they must face. They could hide behind the power of institutions that have lost interest in justice.
That is a grim comment on the state of affairs in the country. Institutional decay gives rise to a vested interest in mediocrity. We are not serious about welcoming excellence even when it knocks on our door. Thus Thiagalingam’s application became victim to ignorance of a well-known law the University and UGC conspired to keep hidden.
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S.R.H. Hoole / March 2, 2017
I put the question whether the date of receipt or date of dispatch is the date to meet the requirements in advertisement to a rtd. Legal Draftsman. He immediate said date of dispatch and cited the case “Running Commentary” has referred to.
I then told him that the UGC has, reportedly, advised the University of Jaffna that Thiagalingam’s application should be rejected because it was received after the closing date.
He asked me, “The UGC said that?” and did not comment further
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Rajah / February 28, 2017
S.J…
How much you are paying to Vasanthi.?
Or she is paying to you?
Rajah
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SJ / March 2, 2017
U R SICK
C A SHRINK
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Mallaiyuran / March 2, 2017
I don’t get it. Translation please! Who is sick?
I thought Jaffna PhDs only had engineering degrees. It seems they practice medicine without sensing the pulse on the hand too?
Some people attach extra honorary for them and by this mentality very abusing of others.
This is indecent behaviour of trashing commentators or taking complaint to CT!
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SJ / March 4, 2017
Who abused whom?
Join the club if you like.
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Kumaran / February 28, 2017
to- Management Student
Are you another frog in the well! Prof Velnamby’s 78 journal articles seem to be in fake journals. None of them are in indexed journals. This is the list of top 200 researchers from University of Jaffna. For your surprise – Professor Vasanthy is the 2nd best researcher.
file storage
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Kumaran / February 28, 2017
To- Management student
Are you another frog in the well? Prof Velnampy’s 78 articles are not in any indexed journals. Perhaps they were published in fake journals. Please check the attached list from Scopus database which shows the first 200 researchers from University of Jaffna.
For your surprise, Prof Vasanthy Arasaratnam is the 2nd in the list.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwPMFWdfrb7tOEYyZUlWTkxXakk/view?usp=sharing
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Mama Sinhalam / March 1, 2017
Why don’t the Sri Lankan academics publish their cv s and their list of publications openly on the university web page as other academics around the world do. Then, the public can know the quality of their publications. The woman who is the VC has highly suspect degrees and publications. The credibility of the place is undermined when its leaders have suspect qualifications.
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S.R.H. Hoole / March 2, 2017
Scopus, ISI/Web of Science, Google?
What are you looking for? Google tracks almost everything. So it is good for finding all articles published by an author At the other end, ISI tracks only articles in journals qualifying by strict criteria. So it finds quality articles.
To determine quality, look up ISI.
Those who have only google scholar articles will want to use only google scholar. Those who have ISI/WoS articles will want the latter.
Guess what the UGC wants?
The UGC Chairman has 9 ISI articles while a circular wants a professor to have 15. So the UGC looks the other way as professor promotions use google citations while professor promotion circular strictly specifies ISI citations.
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Lone Wolf / March 2, 2017
Dr Jeevan Hoole,
“Google tracks almost everything. So it is good for finding all articles published by an author At the other end, ISI tracks only articles in journals qualifying by strict criteria. So it finds quality articles.”
How does ISI classify the numerous articles by some of the VC candidates and the VC?
Are these articles at UoJ often not actually written by students whose supervisor then appears as a co-author?
Do foreign well known universities use similar rules to count published articles as UoJ does?
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Kumaran / March 1, 2017
To-Mama Sinhalam,
How many people have the ability to judge the quality of the publications. It appears none of the council members discovered the fraud of Prof Velnampy. The evaluation team’s report also says that he has 78 publications in indexed journals. In reality he has none! By the way, although the current VC has Indian degrees, as per the world best database scopus, she is the 2nd best researcher in the Jaffna University’s 40 year history. Please note that I’m not talking about her corruption.
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Kiri / March 1, 2017
Kumaran
Publication record of other VC candidates and our great Professors Tharmaratnam and Hoole ? Sivasegaram ?
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AN / March 1, 2017
It is so sad to see that, the people in the council of an academic institution are showing lacking in any administrative capacity in dealing with the minor issue and hiding behind archaic legal arguments. First, they have to find fault with the advertisement itself which was drafted during the days when people were relying on inland postal service to send an application. Those days most applicants are from Sri Lanka. Further, after the internet era, they have to update the advertisement to make sure to allow digital application as well. As soon as they received the application of Prof. Thiyagalingam, and realising it came one day late but posted in time, they should have realised the fault on their part of asking people to send application only by registered post. They should have accepted his application this time and directed the Registrar to do the necessary changes in the future advertisement to encompass digital application ( to provide hardcopy during or before the interview) as well as sent by courier. Further, if the University is really keen on harnessing talents from abroad, they need to develop strategies to attract people from abroad to come and serve. Unfortunately, people like Sivasegaram has stooped to a level of attacking Prof Tharmaratnam. Prof. Tharmaratnam was not a Marxist or has pretentious to be revolutionary but was there in the Unversity from the early days and saw the deterioration and single-handedly fought to arrest the degeneration. Shame on you Prof. Sivasegaram!
I also appeal people not to attack individual members of the University community with innuendos, even if they are true, as it will further destroy the University. No one says, Prof. Thiyagalingam is the best candidate, but he should have been a given a chance present his case to the council. Even if the council decided not to give highest votes to him could have appreciated his commitment to come and serve the University and welcomed him to contribute the University’s development in any other ways rather than pushing him and others who wants to come and serve with total disregards to students welfare.
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Plato. / March 1, 2017
Shame on you Prof: Sivasegaram you say! Love is blind!
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SJ / March 2, 2017
Election of a VC is not a merit promotion. The best of VC’s (including Campus Presidents 1974-78) we knew at Peradeniya were not great academics or researchers.
There is procedure to follow and the rest is a democratic process.
Each stands by his belief and defends what seems right. One very much respects any expressed view that respects the intelligence of the other.
If Sivasegaram indulged in personal attack in public fora that would be deplorable.
So far he as not resorted to such even when personally attacked here and elsewhere.
Everything of relevance is on record and selective sneaking and distortion is ugly.
“ep poruL yAr yAr vAyk kEtpinum meypporuL kAnpathaRivu”
Whatever one may hear from whatever source, it is wisdom to seek the truth in what was heard.
Having witnessed how truth has been ‘processed’ on CT pages in certain matters, I have fresh doubts which I will not come out with until I examine the matter further.
It is really shame on the liars and those choosing to believe the lies without investigation.
One more unfair personal comment by you Plato, I will cease responding to you even in matters of a general nature.
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Luxman / March 2, 2017
You are correct that it is not a merit promotion.
But it is not purely a paper-pushing or top-down tough management job either. If it is simply paper-pushing, then someone with senior civil service experience like the former post master general or director of railways will be good candidates; if it is tough management job, then you may want the former Provincial Governor Chandrasiri!
A VC should be able to show academic leadership; (s)he should be able (in the current climate we have here) to be an example of someone who knows how to set high academic standards — on an international level– that junior academics could aspire to. So there should have been be a good search that encouraged talented people to apply.
The process that seeks to appoint a good VC should be fair and seen to be fair. If the wife of a candidate is chairing the search committee, it doesn’t inspire much confidence, does it? If a member of Council (writing under a different name, after declaring his identity) simply mocks anyone suggesting this is not right as “how come you know the chair, but not the members” that does not inspire confidence in the process, does it? If the local candidates were part of the decision making process that ruled out the sixth (external) candidate, that does not inspire much confidence in the system, does it?
SJ, you had time and energy to look up Nesiah’s travel claim details and report back, but when other more serious and difficult questions are put to you, you come up with some French detective story to distract! That was not very nice.
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SJ / March 2, 2017
Sorry chum, you need a little creative thinking to understand the episodes of Inspector Clouseau.
I have made it clear that I will not discuss council matter here. Dr Nesiah’s is not council matter. It is not confidential either.
I cannot respond to idle speculation based on RTD. (Please read the last episode to find what it means).
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Lone Wolf / March 2, 2017
SJ,
“It is not confidential either.”
Are the Council matters confidential?
If they are should they be?
Would not a transparent Council serve the interests of most?
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Luxman / March 3, 2017
SJ,
“I have made it clear that I will not discuss council matter here. Dr Nesiah’s is not council matter.”
Nesiah’s travel claim IS Council matter because he travelled to the University to attend Council meetings, and not to fix light bulbs.
It is of course your freedom to draw the line where you see convenient:
When it is a challenge of travel claim being paid/not, and you check it and find it is a procedural error and the answer is in your favour, you report.
When the challenge is about conflict of interest of a search committee chair, you duck first by saying “how come you know the chair but not the other members” and then [after it has become abundantly clear she was indeed the chair] by saying “I don’t discuss Council matters.”
Your freedom is acknowledged, but it doesn’t look nice to the rest of us.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
One could inquire about a non-payment of fees without council approval. Payment for a service to the Council is not Council matter after the service is rendered and payment (in this case automatically) in authorized.
The inquiry helped to clear a serious misunderstanding: please tell me what selfish purpose on earth it would serve anyone?
The rest is your imagination.
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Luxman / March 4, 2017
It is not my imagination that it was reported that the chair of the search committee was wife of one of the candidates.
Please read the Union’s letter.
It is not my imagination that you challenged “how come one knows the chair but not the members”.
Please read your earlier comments in CT.
It is not my imagination that it was later confirmed that she was indeed chair of the committee.
Please read the copy of Council minutes CT published.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
When the statement was first made by did you know the committee?
It was your guesswork that I challenged.
The SC had no role in deciding on anybody’s candidacy and there was nothing unethical about anyone chairing it.
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Luxman / March 4, 2017
Of course when the statement was first made, I did not know the full committee. But that was not relevant (there are so many things I don’t know). Yet the charge that the chair was spouse of a candidate was accurate, and accurately known from the Union’s letter. So it was not guesswork. And you knew it was correct. Hence your challenge “how come you know the chair and not the members” was a distraction — a deliberate distraction.
The conflict of interest of search committee chair was unethical because it would have meant (or it would seem so to an outside observer) that they would not search well. And we know they didn’t.
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S.R.H. Hoole / March 4, 2017
SJ/Sivasegaram: No your inquiry has not cleared up anything.
I checked up with Dr. Nesiah he says he has not been paid everything owed to him and that he would sort it out directly.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
What my inquiry cleared is that the 15K allowance covers all expenses.
Rest assured, I too will follow up the matter with whoever concerned.
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Lone Wolf / March 5, 2017
SJ,
“What my inquiry cleared is that the 15K allowance covers all expenses. Rest assured, I too will follow up the matter with whoever concerned.”
Your discussion is a good example of how correct information for all would clear the doubts that exist.
Why don’t you scan the “lump sum regulation” and upload it here? If it is on line you can just provide a link.
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Native Vedda / March 2, 2017
SJ/Sekera
“The best of VC’s (including Campus Presidents 1974-78) we knew at Peradeniya were not great academics or researchers.”
How about Prof Ranaweera Appuhamilage Leslie Herbert Gunawardana, Vice-chancellor (1997-00) of the University of Peradeniya, Pali Scholar, Eminent Historian, fine human being, …. ?
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S.R.H. Hoole / March 2, 2017
Fully agree about Leslie G having been a great scholar and fine human being.
He also knew how to devolve and in this respect was a great manager. When he was Minister of Science and Technology he asked me to do their web site when I was Head/Computer Science.
Our junior staff and senior students, when given the freedom, innovated one of the best web sites at the time. At the time, at many government places including universities, there was someone to approve everything that was stultifying to the developers.
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Native Vedda / March 2, 2017
S.R.H. Hoole
Thank you.
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SJ / March 2, 2017
Please do not get personal.
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Native Vedda / March 2, 2017
SJ/Sekera
“Please do not get personal.”
Why not?
Why do you think we should not get personal when we refer great scholars as historical example?
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SJ / March 4, 2017
NV
No offence meant: sorry to disappoint you. Mine was a very general comment.
I resist dragging personalities into CT discussions.
People who have been associated with Peradeniya for long know much more than I do on the subject and will agree with me.
Sadly, this is not a place for balanced or civilized comment when the performance of an individual is discussed.
(You may remember what happened to Prof. Thurairajah not long ago on these pages.)
I would rather spare people of nasty personal remarks by queer characters with a private ax to grind.
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Sinhala_Man / March 10, 2017
Guys like me know little of Jaffna University or of the merits of Prof. Sam Thiagalingam. However, reading all these articles I feel that he should at least have been interviewed.
Academic work at this level cannot be understood by the “man in the street”, but we can evaluate the politics and common sense things like Closure Dates and postal delays.
From personal knowledge I can tell you that Prof. Leslie Gunawardena was a fine human being. He may not have been able to get much done in 1983 when there was racial violence in Peradeniya, but his concerns were sincere, and he spoke out boldly. His reputation as a scholar was very high.
But there were pseudo-scholars like Jackson Anthony who harassed him so much that they managed to break his mind almost by the end of his life.
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Lone Wolf / March 2, 2017
SJ,
“If Sivasegaram indulged in personal attack in public fora that would be deplorable.”
Agreed. We should all avoid personal attacks.
“So far he as not resorted to such even when personally attacked here and elsewhere.”
True statement or I have failed to notice.
“Everything of relevance is on record and selective sneaking and distortion is ugly.”
Maybe not everything of relevance has been recorded. Others have claimed that Council minutes have missed important points.
Are the records confidential or available for all of us?
“Having witnessed how truth has been ‘processed’ on CT pages in certain matters, I have fresh doubts which I will not come out with until I examine the matter further.”
Yes but others have the right to have their own opinion or doubts and who says that your investigation gives an objective result? Should not an outsider without any conflict of interest decide what is the truth? I am aware of the fact that our discussion here is not of any interest or relevance to most people.
“It is really shame on the liars and those choosing to believe the lies without investigation.”
Just to make it clear that I don’t believe everything I read and hear. There are many others like me. Unfortunately I have no access to first hand sources and quite frankly lack time. In addition I have my subjective world view.
I am a simple man and find your various identities slightly confusing. Did you not last year even deny that you are Sivasegaram/SJ/Sekara only to relatively recently admit it? In the comments to the article of Dr Jeevan Hoole on the pink Vellalahs etc you made a denial if I remember correctly.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
The denial of identity was because someone sought to identify Sekera/SJ as a person and add a personality-based dimension to the discussion, but the way the person was identified was inaccurate. So a mockery was made of it. If the question was simply, “Is SJ etc so and so” one could ignore it or answer in the positive. No lie was told but mischief was thwarted in good humor.
The reason for using the three identities was clearly explained some months ago and I will not repeat it.
Let this be a forum for ideas to contest, not personalities.
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Roy / March 2, 2017
AN
‘As soon as they received the application of Prof. Thiyagalingam, and realising it came one day late but posted in time, they should have realised the fault on their part of asking people to send application only by registered post. They should have accepted his application this time and directed the Registrar to do the necessary changes in the future advertisement to encompass digital application ( to provide hardcopy during or before the interview) as well as sent by courier’
Currier hands deliver the parcel and the sender get immediate confirmation through e-mail or tracking system. This application should have sent by Currier post! It would have been reached within a few days!!
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Clarification / March 2, 2017
The Courier option was not available. The Advt (Report 2 above) allowed only Regd Post and hand delivery:
“Applications / nominations should be in a sealed cover / envelope addressed to the Secretary to the Council, Office of the Registrar, University of Jaffna, Thirunelvely, Jaiina and either hand delivered or sent under registered cover…”
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Lone Wolf / March 2, 2017
Roy,
“It would have been reached within a few days!!”
Usually not. However it is very unusual for a letter from the USA or other countries to take 3 weeks to reach Jaffna.
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Dr.K.Sivam / March 2, 2017
Jaffna University few Questions
Post election reflection
1. What are eligible criteria for vice chancellor.
2. What are the merits expected from the vice chancellor.
3. What are the expectations of the community / country from the Jaffna University.
4. What the eligibility criteria of person’s councilors (Academic within and outside who direct the affairs of the university.
5. On what basis / criteria are the outside councilors selected. Do they contribute to shape the decision making or just play no role in any affairs.
6. Are the councilors, merit conscious or exist passively, non contributing retrogressive, mediocrity boosting for the Jaffna university, to be 9th grade in the list of university in Sri Lanka.
7. What are the progressive steps taken individually and collectively to project and build, individually, departments, academics, research, to catch up for all the losses and non performance / non production during the last thirty years, up to now.
8. Has any objective assessments made on the university, departments, individual’s academics, merits and demerits which stifle the progress of the university as a whole.
9. Is the university Jaffna an autonomous one and have freedom to innovate or bound by ill knowledge bureaucrats, and men of redundancy, who live and think of the past and not current, modern or future.
10. What is the University of Jaffna we dream of and want to build. Are we geared and working towards the targets.
11. How many research publications published in various international journals by each individual / dept of the university
12. How many outstanding intellectuals were thrown out of the system of J.U. by departmental persons as merits those peoples are more higher and knowledgeable than those holding positions, who were invited by other universities.
Old. Yarlppanathan. 2nd. March. 2017
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sekara / March 2, 2017
Dr Sivam
Thanks for the highly relevant questions that also need to be addressed by the public (not necessarily the elite) rather than by vested interests.
It is a serious matter and now I doubt if this is the space for serious discussion. But do please pursue the matter.
The NPC produced not long ago a commendable document on school education in the North.
That should be followed by a discussion of broader issues, of which the University’s role in the community and not as an elitist outfit is of key importance.
University autonomy is very important but responsibility to society is more important.
Much of what Jaffna suffered was part of what the country went through, plus a variety of selfish and sectarian politics that has its roots in the pre-UoJ days.
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Lone Wolf / March 2, 2017
sekara,
“The NPC produced not long ago a commendable document on school education in the North.”
The 300-400 page report with pictures of the gates of the elite schools in Jaffna? Has any action been taken to solve the numerous problems identified in the report?
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Plato. / March 2, 2017
SJ.
Very strange! You do seem to be highly strung; Understandable,since you have been treated as a villain in this whole saga!
When I commented Love is Blind,it had nothing to do with the term Love between a MALE AND A FEMALE. Besides in that respect no one who knows you or had known you could accuse you of improper motives in that respect.
My comment was on the basis that you Love Rules and Regulations to the extent that you are blinded. Pl.read the comment by AN for the contextual relevance!
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Psychiatrist / March 2, 2017
Don’t forget. Sivasegaram loves himself, loves to hear himself and only himself speak at meetings and in this forum, etc.
He also boasts about his high qualities, namely in not personalizing a debate. But see above where he says (SJ March 2, 2017 at 1:35 pm)
U R SICK C A SHRINK
He is delusional for sure.
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Native Vedda / March 3, 2017
Psychiatrist
“Sivasegaram loves himself, loves to hear himself and only himself speak at meetings and in this forum, etc.”
You are wrong,
He loves all those who oppose TNA, TULF, Tamil Congress, Federal Party,…
He loves all those who hate India
He loves Mao and all those communist dictators.
He loves those who carry and talk about the red book.
He loves all those Sinhala/Buddhist racists
He loves to justify atrocities committed by Sri Lankan armed forces and police in his own way.
He loves to argue Sri Lankan state could do no wrong.
He still loves the weeping widow Siri Mao.
He loves those who attack human rights activists.
He loves to maintain a deafening silence on LTTE/JVP atrocities.
…..
…..
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Lone Wolf / March 5, 2017
Native Vedda,
“He loves all those who oppose TNA, TULF, Tamil Congress, Federal Party,… He loves all those who hate India He loves Mao and all those communist dictators. He loves those who carry and talk about the red book. He loves all those Sinhala/Buddhist racists He loves to justify atrocities committed by Sri Lankan armed forces and police in his own way. He loves to argue Sri Lankan state could do no wrong. He still loves the weeping widow Siri Mao. He loves those who attack human rights activists. He loves to maintain a deafening silence on LTTE/JVP atrocities.”
And you know him very well.
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Mohan / March 2, 2017
Hello Clarification !
“Applications / nominations should be in a sealed cover / envelope addressed to the Secretary to the Council, Office of the Registrar, University of Jaffna, Thirunelvely, Jaffna and either hand delivered or sent under registered cover…”
It is not mentioned as follows:
……….should be hand delivered BY THE APPLICANT?
Any body can hand deliver on behalf of the applicant ! Why can’t Currier people to hand over the application ? This particular application could have sent by Currier! No restriction in the advertisement !! Applicant should make sure that it is delivered, not the institution !!!
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Clarification / March 2, 2017
Good answer Mohan, but you miss an important point.
Both Sri Lanka and the United States are members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) founded in 1874
http://www.upu.int/en/the-upu/member-countries.html
The Postal Rule that has formed part of the discussion above applies within the UPU. Accordingly, the time at which you hand over a letter to a post office in a UPU country is legally the time of receipt.
This does not apply in general to a courier service. If your letter handed over to a courier service does not reach the destination, you do not have the legal protection that you have in going through the UPU.
Thiagalingam had enough time (three weeks) and registered post was the wisest option for him.
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SJ / March 2, 2017
Why do you imagine that it was your romantic thoughts on law or anti-law that I objected to?
I do not love the law, but will obey it where it applies, until it is changed.
It is your repeating utterances like “Shame on you Prof: Sivasegaram” that annoyed me, especially after your applauding other nasty remarks on me.
I have stuck to civilized comment as much as possible. I do not want to be provoked into doing things that I dislike.
BYE!
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Mallaiyuran / March 2, 2017
“I have stuck to civilized comment as much as possible. I do not want to be provoked into doing things that I dislike.”
Sorry. I am lost here. Translation please!
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Plato. / March 2, 2017
……..I do not want to be provoked into doing things that I dislike…….
A VEILED THREAT EH? FIDDLESTICKS!
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Peter / March 2, 2017
SJ/Sivasekaram,
People are saying that the Peradeniya lecturer whose article appeared in Thagavadivel Master’s commemoration volume which Prof. Srisatkunarajah tried to block is somebody whom you know so well. They even say when Kamban Kalagam in Colombo tried to block this young man’s appointment to the Tamil Department at Peradeniya on the basis of his caste, you supported the young man to even file a case against the University in the court. Why do you follow double-standards? Did you expect Prof. Sam Thiagalingam to contact you personally? Do you help only those who contact you personally?
Did you vote for Srisatkunarajah? I hope you did not. Now you can speak to the Peradeniya lecturer and find out if Srisatkunarajah blocked the publication of the commemoration volume rather than parroting in this forum that people are spreading lies here about some candidates.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
Prof ST did contact each council member personally.
I would say that it was not appropriate conduct, but would not take too much offence about it.
The issue is not at all personal.
What was at stake was a matter of rules and procedure.
If it is hard for one to understand that, It is even harder to explain anything to one.
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Puzzled / March 4, 2017
SJ,
You are good at ignoring rules when convenient and pulling out non-existing rules to score points among the ignorant.
Where is there a rule that a candidate should not canvas among council members? Name one candidate who did not canvas. Canvassing is perfectly legitimate.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
Puzzled
I consider canvassing of any form to be unethical in this context.
Much harm has been done to ST himself by the vicious mudslinging that has gone on on these pages, especially against selected candidates– a matter of little relevance to the issue at stake, namely accepting or rejecting an application.
Congratulations for living up to the name.
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Ghost Buster / March 3, 2017
A bunch of trouble makers are ganging up just to create chaos at Jaffna University. A man who wants to be a VIce Chancellor did not care to visit Jaffna, make his case or discuss the issues at hand with the stakeholders; but sends a Post, stirs up trouble and watches the fun from far. Besides as an Associate Professor, it is not that he is in a senior academic role contrary to what his supporters say.
I say Associate Professor Sathialingam must have had the courtesy to at least pay a visit in person to make his case if he was serious; otherwise like me many believe his role was merely to create trouble. The same group supporting him makes no sense; as the voting showed majority of the decent folk are in agreement with me. A contemptuous postal application was dealt with as deserved.
At least there is one old school academic ready to stand his ground.
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Manu / March 3, 2017
Ghost Buster,
Are you nuts? Why do you think Prof. Thiagalingam should come to Jaffna when his application was not even accepted? He would have visited Jaffna if he had been allowed to contest as one of the candidates.
Why the postal application was contemptuous? You seem to have some contempt for Prof. Thiagalinagm.
Even a non-academic staff can become the VC. Don’t you know that? Do some homework before you make all these bold pronouncements.
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Clarification / March 3, 2017
I know you are trying to trivialize the issue. No one could create trouble for the University of Jaffna if it follows the rules and laws of the land. Thiagalingam had a right to have his application processed and to be offered for election along with the other applicants. The postal law is part of the law of the land. The old school academic should understand that the University is criminally liable for excluding Thiagalingam.
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Saro / March 3, 2017
GB,
“A man who wants to be a VIce Chancellor did not care to visit Jaffna, make his case or discuss the issues at hand with the stakeholders; but sends a Post, stirs up trouble and watches the fun from far.”
Prof Thiagalingam made an application as required in good time but the petal service delayed delivering it, at least that is the assumption hitherto, unless some foul play is investigated. He did not want to stir up any trouble or create any problem as you find it in your imagination. CT rightly highlighted the inside lawlessness and the involvement of a political/paramilitary outfit which got into an influential position by associating with a corruptive and fraudulent regime at the centre, manipulated and appointed people of disrepute into higher positions at the university. Now the party is discredited but the mafia tries to continue with malpractices with the applicants for the highest job excluding the only one applied from abroad.
The application sent by registered post was delivered one day late or 17 days after it was posted. It was opened and rejected after knowing that the applicant was of high standing and had experiences at reputed universities in US giving the reason of late by one day. The well-frogs must know what is going on in the wider world of high education.
The accusation is that common sense approach was missing in the handing of late application and due consideration was not given to the postal delay caused by the long distance and special festive season. There are court rulings in this country on acceptance of late deliveries to enforce the views of people outside the UoF. Because of your narrow view and wrong accusation of the applicant you must be one of those benefitted from the paramilitary outfit or the favouritism of the current VC.
The UoF needs an efficient outside administrator with wider experiences of renowned universities at the top so that insider dealings can be minimised and the standard raised comparable to world standard. In the world ranking UoJ is very low at the moment.
The VC who got into her job by unethical and foul play was behind the initiatives to reject this application. No doubt she has her accomplices to support her as the network is already built up to continue with the same power bloc.
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Kanthan / March 3, 2017
GB
‘A bunch of trouble makers are ganging up just to create chaos at Jaffna University. A man who wants to be a VIce Chancellor did not care to visit Jaffna, make his case or discuss the issues at hand with the stakeholders; but sends a Post, stirs up trouble and watches the fun from far. Besides as an Associate Professor, it is not that he is in a senior academic role contrary to what his supporters say.’
We all at the university agree with you: ‘A bunch of trouble makers are ganging up just to create chaos at Jaffna University’.
This man didn’t apply for lecturer/professor post here and didn’t help the way other eminent people from outside the country do to the university. If he really want to help the university, he could have done several several things. How many times he visited the university after leaving the place?
Kanthan
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Fairplay / March 3, 2017
Kanthan,
At least be truthful with what is on record, if you want to be taken seriously.
This lie ‘We all at the university agree with you’ about a ‘bunch’ of troublemakers, stinks. The article above lists the two major teachers’ unions, the employees union and the university students union, who defied pressure from the establishment and one of the three elected candidates, who at the Council wanted Thiagalingam dropped and hopes to step into Vasanthy’s shoes, and wanted Thiagalingam to be included included in the list of candidates. They regarded the postal delay a non-issue.
Please be decent by our long-suffering community and try to ensure that the University becomes a place for intellects, and not for cheats who will take us down the drain.
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Saro / March 3, 2017
Kanthan,
“How many times he visited the university after leaving the place?”
The information is that his application wasn’t included in the list for processing is due to one day late delivery of his post. Those who are involved in the corrupt activities of the paramilitary and its stooges are well frogs who do not seem to know the notoriety of its administration and the very low ranking in the world league table. Was Prof Thiagalingam excluded because of his supposedly low number or lack of visits to UoJ on top of his late application?
UoJ must break the cycle of favouritism of the top down the hierarchical ladder. The appointments must be made on the basis of merit and experience. Only those beneficiaries of the frauds and corruption support the exclusion of the outside candidates on newly invented reasons of number of visits to the UoJ by the applicant. What matters is the efficiency, experience, determination and knowledge of the working of different universities to make a success and not how to appease the paramilitaries or those higher up.
Prof Thiagalingam will bring his experience of working and researching in world reputed universities to the benefit of UoJ and its students and staff. The province and the country also will benefit.
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Old Yarlppanathan / March 3, 2017
[Edited out] Comments should not exceed 300 words.Please read our Comments Policy for further details.
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Moorthy / March 3, 2017
Ghost Buster and Kanthan,
Criticizing honest people who care for the future of the Jaffna University by lifting its standing as a world class institution by freeing it from the shackles of the war time maintenance mode as “A bunch of trouble makers ganging up just to create chaos” is a manifestation of selfishness and dishonesty.
These individuals refused to “go along to get along” and stood on principles at the risk of facing repercussions by the enemies of progress at the Jaffna University and the larger NP community. Everyone should salute and thank these outstanding patriots of the community.
It is hypocritical to say “A man who wants to be a Vice-Chancellor did not care to visit Jaffna, make his case or discuss the issues at hand with the stakeholders” without giving Prof. Thiagalingam access to the appropriate forum to do so. Furthermore, it has been proven well beyond any doubt that these evil forces blocked an eminent academic Prof. S.R.H. Hoole, who expressed willingness to serve even as a senior lecturer at the Jaffna University.
Prof. Thiagalingam has a distinguished track-record of bringing together scientists and intellectuals in North America being the founder organizer of Technological Advances in Science, Medicine and Engineering (TASME) conference which continues to provide a forum for the last two decades to not only the established intellectuals but more importantly the young budding and developing intellectuals in the expatriate community. Given an opportunity, Jaffna University could have benefited from his services to enhance its profile and ranking as a world class institution. Finally, it is noteworthy that Google scholar lists 9481 citations for Prof. Thiagalingam (http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eR7WLDYAAAAJ&hl=en), which should put him far ahead of the VCs and VC candidates of the Jaffna University.
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Alex / March 4, 2017
Dr.Thiagalingam had two options to send the application from US: either send the application by registered post or Currier post. Later one was the best option as he could have tracked the parcel online day by day. As ‘Mohan’ commented, Currier people could have hand delivered to the university within a week. People are sending even dry food from Sri Lanka to other part of the world by currier within a week. Council members based in Colombo said the university sends important document by domestic courier service.
Alex
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Luxman / March 4, 2017
What do you mean by “currier post” and “currier people”, Alex?
Check it out so you can calibrate your ability to comment on a Vice Chancellor appointment.
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SJ / March 4, 2017
Jacques is back
STORY SO FAR:
Inspector Jacques Clouseau arrived from faraway France to resolve the mystery of a missing packet sent by a Yankee to the Peril of the Indian Ocean.
Jaques first suspected the Lady with the Funny Hat (LWFH) of theft. She swore that it was she who asked the Yankee to apply in the hope that his talking over will make her the best VCUoJ of the century and pointed to the 4+1 likely culprits eyeing her job.
Questioned collectively and threatened with incarceration in a toilet, they yielded and pointed to Mr Right-to-Disinformation (RTD).
Jaques located RTD, who was in the basement peeping through a chink in the floorboard.
As he was about to grab RTD by whatever was readily accessible, he was stopped by LWFH.
STORY FROM NOW ON:
Episode 3
“Let him go” she ordered Jacques.
“I thought that he is a villain who torments you.”
“Villain, b******ks! He is the one who is making me famous by writing about me in the Mafiograph, the underworld medium feeding the world with gossip.”
“But does’nt he write bad things about you?”
“Inspector, I thought that you were cleverer than that. Don’t you know that all publicity is good publicity?”
“Oui madame” but only in show business and politics…?”
“You Frogs (pet name for the French in British parlance), you don’t know the globalized academia!”
Jaques desperately needed to escape from her before she humiliated him further.
“Pardonnez-moi ma dame (Pardon me my lady) I have another clue to pursue about suspicious Frogs in the Well. I will do that while you do what you wish with this peeping tom.”
That was how I got sucked into Jaques’ visits to hot and cold wells with/without frogs, including the seven Hot Wells in the East.
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Lone Wolf / March 5, 2017
SJ,
“He is the one who is making me famous by writing about me in the Mafiograph, the underworld medium feeding the world with gossip.”
You made me laugh. Thank you.
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SJ / March 6, 2017
At last, a soul with a sense of humor
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SJ / March 4, 2017
Episode 4
Now on the story follows on two tracks.
One with Jacques going a nasty-frog hunt.
The other with the Lady with the Funny Hat. That will take a while to come and may even be a different series of episodes until she meets up with Jacques.
He wanted to be furthest away from any well accessible to LWFH. He hopped a military vehicle into which he dragged me– the way he would have RTD had not the LWFH intervened –and asked the driver to go to “grenouille bien” (frog well), which the Sinhala-speaking driver somehow understood as “unu watura linda”, and took us to the famous seven hot wells of Kanniya north near Trincoomalee.
Jaques searched well after well for nasty frogs, but found none, not even not-so-nasty frogs.
He turned to me and asked me “Where are the frogs?”
“Frogs don’t live in hot wells!”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“You did not ask me!”
“Oh you are the funny guy who will not answer questions in the M*****graph. Tell me if there are any frogs at all here if you do not mind!”
Reluctantly I pointed to creatures clad in colourful clothes. Those are frogs that went West and returned to this country on holiday. Some swear that they are frog princes.
“What are the other creatures near them?”
“They are guide frogs. They are there for the dollars.”
Jacques sent out a deep sigh. “What a waste of the time of a top French detective. Let us go back.”
He changed his mind and decided to question some of the foreign returned prince frogs (FRPF).
So my stay in the East is prolonged and you have to wait a while before I can steal a moment for myself from Jacques.
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Au Revoir / March 4, 2017
SJ,
Rather than put us through this rant at a sleepy hour, we remain wide awake to hear the reasons why you unanimously agreed at the evaluation committee to schedule Thiagalingam as a VC candidate, and less than 24 hours later discover legal reasons to drop him like a hot brick?
Was it after getting superior legal advice from the Lady Boss, who said that the temporary establishments’ code overrules the postal rule endorsed by the Supreme Court?
If you are going to give a legal argument, keep it for a late session at Queen’s Bar; where, with grogginess, anything goes. And we part as back-slapping pals.
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Eluththu vinai-gnan / March 5, 2017
SJ
Why are you in the East, bathing in the seven hot springs at night counting frogs and putting hats on them like some mercuriated hatter? You should go West to B231, Phone:011 2 578234.
All know that you are the master obfuscator. You now seem to have swallowed your own lies and overstretched your own brain. Be careful, the mind is too a precious thing to lose.
What have you got against Jaffna? Normal retired people pray. You are an unbeliever, your own god- so you do what you have been specializing in all your life—creating chaos to destroy education, like making Prof. Mahalingam give in his papers and resign as head/mechanical by harassing him. You hate order so you destroy it everywhere.
SJ GO HOME. Trinco campus will gladly take you. It is already a jungle of chaos with no road after all these years. There are weird frogs there too to investigate.
Please Sir. Let Jaffna progress. You used to write for the eluthu vilaignar sangam, Nyot Anymeur. Now you are a total Eluththu vinai-gnan.
For Jaffna to Disce Sivasegaaram must discede.
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Lone Wolf / March 5, 2017
Eluththu vinai-gnan,
“Normal retired people pray.”
My God!
Only?
Is some TV allowed? Only religious “shows”?
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SJ / March 6, 2017
E v-g
uuz vinai!
So is it Jaffna-centred regionalism at work?
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Plato. / March 4, 2017
SJ/Sekera/sivasegaram.
There are accusations about how you cheated to become a Senior Prof:
You would do well to clear that before talking through your hat.
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SJ / March 5, 2017
This is still a free country despite MR and a fair part of what has followed.
One has the freedom to read or not read, or respond or not respond to any article or comments.
Jaques’ findings are far more insightful than all the speculation that has gone on here and achieved no tangible result but senseless mudslinging hailed by confused heads.
An understandable campaign in a rather inappropriate manner has led to comments of little relevance to the subject and nasty personal remarks, wisely ignored for most part by the victims.
It has hurt the rejected candidate more than any other, I think because he seems a decent person in whose name many an indecent remark has been made.
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