Tough action against thuggery in varsities

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Stern action will be taken against outsiders who use university hostels forcibly to promote thuggery and other unlawful acts in universities, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake told the Sunday Observer yesterday. The Minister said that during the past two years, the female students’ hostel at the Kelaniya university had been forcibly occupied by male students.

Even university administration had to give in due to the influence of JVP students.

Eventually the Ministry sought a Court order to remove the male students from the hostel. According to the Minister, the JVP had sent outside students to each university to handle the situation in that particular university.

Some of them are JVP students who had left the universities while the others had never attended a university.

“We have received information that some JVP students had gained university admission through impersonation. Earlier these outsiders virtually ran the universities. At present we are systematically getting rid of these elements. Therefore, the situation in the universities has improved by nearly 90 percent,” he said.

Except for a few students who represent the JVP, all other students continue their studies as usual with a sense of satisfaction, he said. Minister Dissanayake said no disciplinary action was taken against unruly students in the past and as such they did what they liked. The university administration will suspend classes and take disciplinary action against those who resort to unlawful acts. The university authorities will get the police to deal with the incidents of assault or harassment of students.

However, the Minister said that stern action would be taken against students who committed various unlawful acts. If they give an undertaking that they would not resort to such acts again, an opportunity would be provided for them to continue their studies.

“The Government will bring about a substantial change in the country’s higher education sector. We will create an environment in the universities where a student can conduct his or her studies freely. The minister called upon the students not to yield to undue pressure and ruin their future. They should be determined to complete their studies to become “universal graduates”, the Minister said.