Insight By Sunil Kumar

October 30th 2010
The latest rhetoric of the JVP and the bold challenge issued by the Democratic National Alliance linked JVP spokesperson to the Minister for Higher Education the Hon. Mr. S.B. Dissanayake is typical of the role it plays as instigator of trouble on university campuses in Sri Lanka today. This is an unprecedented time in Sri Lanka where never before seen agitations and incidents of violence are taking place between student factions, some of them shameful and lawless in challenging authority and it is fast becoming obvious who the instigators of this happens to be.

The JVP seems to have thrown caution to the winds that universities are seats of learning, and its only function not the breeding ground for political dissent or any political activity and need to be confronted for their role in the recent spate of university student unrest which they can neither deny nor disclaim as part of their agenda as they are pretty blatant about how they get about this where attempts at subtlety and clandestine activity have failed them and if the Honourable Minister has taken umbrage and intends to deal with related issues he has every right to do so as in so doing he is acting on behalf of every conscientious university student in the Nation whose primary objectives are apathetically blocked and their direction towards obtaining a higher education made all the more difficult becuse some flybynight politicos have decided to use it as a tool to disrupt the proceedings of the Administration and making it look as though it has been orchestrated by the Government which seems the furthest from the truth.

The JVP’s challenge to the Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayaka for an open debate on the present crisis in the university system and the alleged suppression of student movements is an clear indication of the role they play in the university campus troubles and it takes no rocket science to draw this conclusion as each trouble spot always has had JVP involvement and should be sought out, outlawed and disbanded in the best interests of the University Education prograqm of Sri Lanka. Otherwise the resulting mayhem could take on catastrophic propotions as the world knows what the ramifications of student unrest can be if it isn’t nipped in the bud as many glaring examples stand out in history as testimony! This is the direction chosen by the Hon. Minister and all kudos to him for his stand, the wisdom and the courage towards making such such a decision and if the JVP wants a head on confrontation with him and his team they probably are due for a surprise as the Minister is well within his right, has the backing of the Government and is a very assertive and judicious administrator who knows his statutes of limitations relative to the law where he is not obliged to show any leniency to what has been proven as JVP meddling into university matters and of course many other areas in their campaign to discredit and disrupt Government proceedings and no figment of the imagination! Consequently it has to be assumed that the JVP are truly risking being blown away on any confrontational platform if they choose this line of action which in addition to the disrepute they have already brought upon themselves would further decimate their popularity ratings which even now are hardly worth a second glance in the eyes of many!

The transparencies of what the JVP intend to do to disrupt the smooth functioning of the present Administration using university student unrest as a tool seems plainly visible by simply looking at who is involved.The very fact that JVP politburo member and DNA parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is involved in the challenge extended to the Minister for Higher Education suggesting that though the Government is pointing a finger at the JVP for intimidating students, who in his opinion are being portrayed as the culprits responsible, he together with his JVP collaborators think to the contrary. The fact of the matter based on careful research and the many rational opinions which have been expressed through very plausible analysts is that the real situation relative to the mounting terror has been initiated by student unions back by JVP support towards increasing the unrest among students where the Government through the Minister’s representation and intervention is attempting to quell it and obviously not to the JVP’s liking.

While it seems eloquent in a “Holier Than Thou” context on the part of the JVP to suggest ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We do not approve every activity carried out by the university students which resulted in unrest but the terror mounted by the Government to counter them and the undermining of free education had compelled them to resort to such action,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the reality points to university student unrest instigated by the JVP and promulgated by ungrateful students who disregard the value of free education where the Government has very justifiably stepped in to deal with it and regardless of the JVP’s attempt to coin it as State aided terror it is the furthest from the truth and a perfectly legitimate means of action on the part of the Government! If free education is scrapped as a result of ingratitude on the part of students whose responses bifurcate and overstep the metes and bounds of educating themselves within the provision of the universities then sadly it will be a price for all students to pay.

With reference to student grievances, they would be legitimate if it involved institutional problems such as communications, ragging, curricula, living conditions and other university related problems of a more mundane nature but not politically motivated set ups by an organisation well know for rebellion where the Students are their pawns and hence their grievances are unjustified and disentitle themselves towards the restitutions sought!If the Government has decided to take away privileges which have been abused, that then is part of their own doing and a price to pay for lawlesness!

If as alleged by the JVP, the Government was planning to scrap free education with the introduction of private universities which would make state universities mere traditional education institutions not meeting the needs of the modern world it would be a merger with the global education system where higher education in almost every case is not free and perhaps would be better appreciated by those who pay for it and the poor students who may get victimised by it, paying a price for the inconsideration of the louts within the JVP with their high faluting rhetoric about students rights that have inconsiderately denied them of the privilege!! It will indeed be a sad and harsh reality but perhaps not too late towards correcting if there were no political involvements and propaganda as part of university life.and a far cry from the university environment of another day and age where we as Sri Lankans who went through similar systemns are proud to remember and thankful of the tranquility.

Tha dark references and threats of involving the working class in direct action and disturbances by the spokesperson of the JVP in the event that the Government does not capitulate to JVP demands on the related issues is an attempt to breach the laws governing university discipline and order through public unrest and would have dire ramifications for the speakers who broadcast such propaganda as well as their political affiliations and something they should bear in mind towards their own well being with a great deal of caution in a land where national unrest of a different kind was sought out and destroyed not too long ago and could easilty be interpreted as language of a similar vein and downright dangerous towards repetitive significance in their own best interests!