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| Sunday, 9 January 2005 |
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Shelving academia for relief work by Athula K. Samarakoon The academic community which sacrificed 500 university students to the marauding forces of the tsunami has come under one banner to provide relief to the affected. "In the wake of this natural calamity we must strive together to pull the nation forward. As university students who are in the prime of our youth, we have the strength and determination required to help revive the nation" says Rev. Indarathana, a final year student in the Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo. "We have benefited ourselves from Free Education. For that we owe much to our nation. Therefore, we will come forward to assist our nation", he added. This Bhikkhu student, with some hundred arts students, has moved quickly into the affected areas in Hambantota and is labouring to restore normalcy in the lives of the displaced. "We launched a 'Shramadhana Campaign' with the participation of hundreds of students from the Common Student activist organisation. Also the Law students of 'Siyatha' organisation have joined us to carry on this effort", says another student. Some students of the Faculty of Management have joined more relief programs and are working in Trincomalee and in Southern areas. Challenge Sampath Dharmawardena, a final year student of the Faculty of Management and Finance, says "the disaster is so enormous, and the government alone can't take up the challenge. "We must do whatever we can. This is a challenge every citizen should take up". Also he says that every citizen in the country should witness this plight with their own eyes and help the affected. Dharshana Athapattu, a third year student of the Faculty of Law, says that he joined a relief program launched in Trincomalee. According to him, the aid must equally go to all the affected people and no-discrimination should be allowed. United effort A representative of the IUSF says that they have called upon the whole university academic community to get united and join the relief program. "All the faculties under their umbrella have already moved to organise various activities", he says, adding that their organisation was highly moved by the deaths of the university students. "We will do anything that we can on behalf of the families of the dead students" he said. All the students say that the distribution of aid has to be well organised and should come under one organisation. "Various sections of the society collect aid but the most needy should be given priority", they say. Priority Also criticising some of the propagandist work of media institutes and politicians the students say that this disaster should not be exploited to get cheap publicity. The whole nation is mourning and a few selfish are fishing in the troubled water", they say. I met several students who had rushed to the affected areas and joined the relief programs. What they all say is that united efforts should be launched to regain the lost beauty of the country. |
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