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| Tuesday, 3 August 2004 |
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by Asela Kuruluwansa and Indika Polkoluwa Employees attached to the Peradeniya University Trade Unions have decided to take appropriate action against a group of undergraduates who had allegedly thrown human excreta and rotten eggs at a group of academics and university security officials while a drama being staged at the university's Sarachchandra Memorial Open Air Theatre recently. This follows a meeting of the Trade Union Central Committee (Bala Mandalaya) held at the campus yesterday (August 2). A trade union spokesman said this decision has been communicated to the University Grants Commission, Deans and Directors of University Department. Work of the non-academic staff at the university including clerical, technical, supervisory, security and labour grades had come to a total standstill yesterday due to this trade union action and most other university offices could not be opened yesterday as the relevant keys could not be obtained from the security section. University sources said the drama held at the open air theatre on July 29 had been arranged by a group of students attached to the Aesthetic Studies Unit. Another group opposed to the staging of the drama had perpetrated the alleged attack as a mark of protest. Meanwhile, the Federation of Peradeniya University Teachers' Association (FPUTA) has noted that politically motivated groups with vested interests were trying to disrupt academic activities of the University. Issuing a media release FPUTA states: 'Federation of Peradeniya University Teachers' Association (FPUTA), the apex body representing all the academic staff trade unions in the University of Peradeniya wishes to clarify the situation with respect to the disgraceful incidents happened at the Sarathehnadra Open air theatre of the university on July 29, 2004. The FPUTA denounces any act of violence and disruption to the smooth functioning of academic activities of the university. The behaviour of a group of students at the function organized by the Fine Arts Department will not be condoned by any civilised society. We believe that the unruly elements among the student community should be punished and penalized to safeguard the democratic environment in the university. However, FPUTA believes that actions of few individuals should not disturb the academic life of the majority of the innocent students. The FPUFA denied media reports that the academic staff of the University of Peradeniya has taken a trade union action disrupting normal university programmes. |
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