Protests against SAITM continue

by Isuri Yasasmin Kaviratne

Students protesting Pic:Saman Sri Wedage

Nearly 130-day silent protests opposite medical faculties around the country, a public sitting on Thursday night and a symbolic protest on Friday morning opposite the Fort Railway Station fell on deaf ears as university students continue to resist private universities in Sri Lanka, including South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine.(SAITM).

A collaboration of Inter University Students Federation and the Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee staged a sitting protest this week, demanding the abolition of SAITM,

Convenor of IUSF, Lahiru Weerasekera said the apathy faced by them at the hands of the government will not prevent undergraduates from fighting for their cause. He said the only discussion they had was with the State Minister for Higher Education Mohan Lal Grero in November 2015, who told them that he cannot answer questions against government policy.

"The other Ministers, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have made public statements about the unwillingness to abolish SAITM and did not accede to giving them a hearing and our side of the story," he said.

However, he said medical students were determined to continue with their protests until they receive a favourable response from the government.

Convenor of the Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee Ryan Jayathileka said the protests will continue, till sub-standard private universities were abolished in Sri Lanka.