OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF JAFFNA UNIVERSITY
Posted on December 24th, 2012
Kanthar P Balanathan Retired Director & Specialist Power Systems Engineer
Sen. Prof. Ms Vasanthy Arasaratnam
Vice Chancellor
University of Jaffna
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Vice Chancellor,
FUNDAMENTALIST & CAPRICIOUS BEHAVIOUR OF JAFFNA UNIVERSITY (JU) STUDENTS
As a Tamil SriLankan Australian, it has become obligatory to write this open letter to your office, after reading ferocious behaviour of Jaffna University StudentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s union Leaders. I prefer to refer me as SriLankan Australian, and not Tamil.
I am a very senior person who has worked at KCW as the Divisional Head, and has seen TamilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s pugnacious behaviour. As Tamils, we lack knowledge in listening skills & Conflict Resolution, and always resort to man handling opponents or engage in subversive activities.
I have been tracking LTTE activities for quite a while (approx. 40 years), I am aware of their subversive capabilities.
My experience drives me to assent that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Expertise + Reliability + Flexibility = CapabilityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. If you carefully analyse each of the above elements, does JU provide academic training of any of the elements? Definitely you will agree that JU is not a terrorist training camp. Is it?
My perception of the definition of a University is:
A university has two principal functions: Provide instruction on materials of intellectual importance and conduct research on those same matters. The functions should support each other. It is distinguished from other means of education, and be taught by active researchers. Teaching and research is carried out in isolation.
From reading through media, it does not appear that JU is actively engaged in teaching materials of intellectual importance but students are left to be driven by external floating irrational diaspora bodies. Intellectual teaching and research can only be done in an atmosphere where scholars feel free to take risks and an environment that prizes intellectual freedom. However, illegal conduct, fragment abuse, violence, intimidation of members of staff or students by radicals, is not conducive in a place of intellectual teaching and research.
GOSL does not interfere in JUƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s academic intellectual teaching and/or research. JU is being converted as a place for subversive political activities by some external ridiculous organisations of the Tamil Diaspora.
JU staff and students must understand that Tamils are not above the Law.
Just to cap on our cultural practice. Any of our family memberƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s death anniversaries is remembered annually at home with a gathering of our family.
To read more on LTTE, please visit: -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-features/item/13918-tamil-diasporaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s-impediments-to-peace-in-sri-lanka.html.
Tamils wanted a University. GOSL provided a University and is adding a Faculty of Engineering. LTTE connected activities and propagandas are converting the University into a hall of subversive activities.
The studentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s goal is to graduate, and if possible continue with research in their field of studies. The University should have a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-visionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-missionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. However, it appears that some Professors and Lecturers are actively preaching the theory of separatism.
Reference, http://www.newjaffna.com/fullview.php?id=MjY5MjI, Professor S. Satkunarajah has made a statement to the Governor of the North that the cause for LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s birth was because the basic problems of Tamils were not solved. One must remember that V. Prabakaran (VP) is only an eighth standard fanatic. VP has no understanding of the theory of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-EconomicsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, microeconomics, macroeconomics, sociology, and Political science. VP only saw the 70 million people 22 miles across KKS and generated an observation that he is entitled to everything in SriLanka. With 1.5 million Tamils in SL, what does your academic institution teach? Do they qualify for self-determination and can they survive. TodayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s population in the North is less than 600k. Even prior to 1948, the Tamil Elites and their dependents migrated out of SriLanka. My view of VP is that he and his illiterate associates are the cause for the economic downfall of SL today. You should do your computation on the billion dollar worth of assets VP destroyed during the last 30 years.
Further, to Prof. SatkunarajahƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement, my question is: Can he confirm whether the Tamil Elites have solved the basic human rights violation practiced in the N&E. Have they given equal rights to a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Toddy TapperƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-DhobiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-DrummerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-BarberƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ etc.? Will they allow them to purchase land next to their premises? Will he start advocating to revoke the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Thesavalami LawƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Will Prof. S. Satkunarajah give a speech on a public platform to abolish the caste system in the N & E? Has any Tamil politician to date gone public to abolish the caste system?
WonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you agree that the N&E practiced and practice Apartheid.
Can the JU publish their research contribution to SriLanka. Are your activities transparent? What are your research topics? In what areas has JU contributed to the GOSL and the country. May be you could publish and make it transparent. I remember in 1963 JFK said to the Americans: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Ask not what the country has done for you; ask what you have done for the countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
If your students and teachers intend to speak on separatism, then the JU does transform to a political separatist organisation and cannot be regarded as an academic institution.
I believe that behavioural pattern inflicts upon leadership quality. The behavioural pattern of students and some academic staff in JU may be questionable.
I was an old student of Hartley College. The then Principal, Mr Pooranampillai was a kind, understanding, lateral thinking simple person and a good leader. However, he was an excellent administrator, with strong focus on studentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s appreciation of academic training level, and an excellent disciplinarian. Hartley College had a clean environment in all aspects. It will be difficult to replace a person like Mr Pooranampillai. I hope this message is clear.
The worst of JU studentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s activity was to hang an effigy of MA Sumanthiran in the University Campus early 2012. This indicates that JUƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s administration is questionable.
Professors and academic staff should desist from political activities with the students. Please trust me, Tamil Diaspora organisation does not care a dam for the Tamils in SriLanka. Most of Tamil Diaspora is interested in accruing wealth, and some of them have swallowed LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wealth.
Tamil Nadu politicians are self centered selfish humans. Particularly M. Karunanithi does not care a dam. They only want to create chaos in the N&E.
Readdressing the Martyrs day celebration:
Logically, on a humanistic sociological and legal perspective, the LTTE cannot be treated as heroes and martyrs. Further, martyrƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s day remembrance celebration is leading most young and old Tamils in Australia and Sri Lanka to a state of intoxication.
Most countries will not allow people to have a Remembrance Day celebration for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Bin LadenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and his associates!
Celebrating November 27 each year as a Remembrance Day on a wide scale constricts bringing in peace in the said region for the people. The recent uprise in 2012 is evident to this fact.
I need say no more that every government has the right and duty to protect sovereignty of the relevant country from subversive activities and terrorism. Tamils cannot dictate how GOSL should maintain its territorial integrity.
I have annexed letters written to Mr Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Vaiko of Tamil Nadu. May be this will throw more light to your staff and students.
It is a strong belief that you should clean up the studentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s separatism and aggressive behavioural pattern and lead the University as an academic institution to produce intellectual humans to support and contribute to SriLanka and GOSL.
Kind Regards
Kanthar P Balanathan
December 24th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
The problem with some of those extremists Tamils is they have this inferior complex. The British took the poor Tamils from India to their colonies to do their dirty work as most of the natives in those colonies hated the British occupies and refuse to work for them.Those poor Tamils worshiped the Brits, but the moment the Brits left or got kicked out they wanted more as the Brits use them against the natives. In the former colonies the Brits rewarded those loyal Tamils giving them jobs in civil service, banks and schools and control of local trade. But some of those Tamils were not happy with those privileges. They wanted to control those countries as well. That is why they got kicked out of Fiji, Kenya and Uganda. In Malaysia the are still kept under control. In Sri Lanka they had every opportunity as any other Sri Lankan and perhaps more, and they took kindness as a weakness.
Those who treat terrorist as heroes are terrorist as well, and they should be treated as terrorist and have no place in society.
December 24th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Kanthar, if you are a Tamil Sri Lankan Australian as claimed above, then the contents of this letter is sufficient proof that reconciliation is possible and is a happening thing. The more people of Tamil ethnicity start speaking up about the LTTE politics and processes, the more chance we have in achieving true reconcilliation. Great letter – thanks for sharing it.
December 24th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Well said Sir, Mr Balanathan.
December 25th, 2012 at 12:04 am
Well said!
It is Tamils like the writer of this article that Sri Lanka needs.
I always say that like the pro LTTE JU students, the JVP (predominantly Sinhalese) are just as bad for what they do in our universities. The Sri Lankan taxpayer should not have to pay for their free education.
December 26th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
There are number of people try to imitate them as Sinhalese, muslims and tamils hiding their true identities. Kanthar P Balanathan. He may not aware the fact that the Vice Chancellor of JU is recommended by former palestine trained terrorist who lead terrorist attack on Navy. This lady does not even have a good PhD. Before appointing this Lady, a great educationist Professor Hoole who was against to LTTE was brought down by the President from USA to appoint as VC. However, the dirty terrorist Douglas chased him away in order to appoint this Lady. Can our President get rid of this terrorist Douglas from the ministerial Post?