Hardhearted revolutionaries, half-hearted comrades

Jayantha Senevirathna

Many will call me an adventurer, and that I am, but only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes - Che Guevara Then, the trio enters.

As it should be, the two females position themselves among the passengers, and the male, the smartly dressed hero, starts, "Fellowmen! Behold! Our dearest right, free education, suffers. See your sons murdered. But we are sure that our cause will not be suffered to doom....," and parrots.

Passengers, keen to protect their last ten rupees (not the famous last hundred), get a catnap inside the stuffy omni-bus.

In public transport, it's usual and commonplace. A decade ago, it was only the ill, deaf, blind, displaced or an occasional singer going round for a treat. But, now, these smartly clad undergraduates have also joined the fray.

It's political, they say, and takes the form of a protest, against an injustice not fully comprehended by the public. But two accidental encounters made me to think otherwise.

First, at a popular restaurant, my mind was busy guessing who the plucky youth negotiating a stockpile of roasted chicken marinated and grilled into scrumptious pinky-brown. Suddenly, my guessing game ended. To my utter amazement, it was the budding politician I met in the bus. "It's well-deserved after a hard days work," I thought, and, no wonder, "He might be drilling the typical Diyawanna Style".

Next, it's a tragedy, and a close affair. In my customary train journey back home, I met my ever-jovial companion in one of his deepest thoughts. A senior government executive and a father of three, he disclosed tearfully that his undergraduate daughter has to take part in a fund-raising campaign selling stickers to the public. "She still insists on her mother for company even for shopping," he lamented.

I said, simply, that she would say no and stay at home. For such freedom, there's a price, my friend said. If she is not willing to sell stickers in public, she is free to stay at home but has to pay some thousands of rupees for the exclusion.

And, even if she is excluded from the burden, it's compulsory for her to attend the mass protest organised by the union. Such was the briefing they received by way of a telephone call.

Getting to the bottom of such practices will really be hard, and tracking all the culprits may be even harder. In a university, we are aware that we sometimes break the rules in a self-proclaimed freedom.

We think the police are not allowed in, and we can keep administrators under arrest for hours and, and in some cases, days. Such thinking was happily tolerated earlier, but things are getting really bad now. The public read some inside stories with horror and disgust.

Struck by the extremely sensitive nature of the news, you may conclude that politics should be banned in universities.

But such a ban is not only ridiculous, but also counter-productive. As adults and franchise holders, they have their political freedom to hold the views they value.

There's nothing wrong with politics as a social science, but the way they take politics into their hands. All in all, they are the intellects the country belittles citing their inferiority in technology and English.

We may add democracy, pacifism, communism, fundamentalism, fascism and so on. The list may go on and on.

They all are all ideals shared by different societies in different time-lines. Moreover, inside a democratic framework, and in a multicultural society, we have to be tolerant of others. Essentially, such beliefs, values and ideals pave the way for changes in our thinking and social order. It's important to remember that economic growth is not all about physical well-being.

In this context, debates dialogues and discussions add immensely to a changing society. Man, essentially an emotional animal, craves for spiritual pleasures.

But, unfortunately, in many instances of our day-to-day dealings, we give priority to our physical well-being. In naked greed, our obsession with worldly pleasures simply smothers our will to exploit nature for our benefit. Even though frustrating, it's just enough to remember the fact that there's a spiritual vacuum reigning in the corridors of political power.

If we are to ban university politics merely for stability inside such institutions, we are thoroughly mistaken. It typical of the calmness inside an eye of a storm! University entrance is fiercely competitive at present. Any contender who overcomes this formidable hurdle is unquestionably an intellectual with a razor-sharp mind. And, obstructions and bans on politics may be efforts in vain, and indeed self-damaging.

Virtually, university politics reflect a one-horse race. It's the horse which gallops, right or wrong, with a vision and mission. And, it's a difficult terrain for the lazy horse that wallows in the mud of worldly pleasures. Making things worse, and not being the money-making institution, it's not the place for the mundane business of getting and spending.

It's really exhausting and not for political moonlighters who appear in the voting season. In the democratic front, it was late Lalith Athulathmudali who won the hearts and minds of the young intellectuals. We still remember him taking part in debates even inside universities.

In the historical context, societies flourished and thrived inside democracies. And, at the moment, major political parties are without personalities with the flair, the authority and the gumption to carry forward their political vision with these young intellectuals.

We shouldn't forget the fact that the majority of these students represent remote electorates where their elders, as a whole, have quite warm feelings towards major political parties.

At the entrance, they represent a society which tolerates diversity. Even though there's a big potential, there are no intelligent and courageous people from major political parties to take the initiative.

With the ever-increasing forces of globalisation, there are many attractions on offer from a democratic front. Today's youth are aware that employers need employees with office and personal skills rather than more advanced education. Perseverance, strategic thinking, collection information and presentation of ideas are the criteria that help to win the day for prospective job applicant.

And, at the same time, articulacy, confidence and smartness also count. Demonstrations inside the walls add much moment to the cause, but unceremonious removals from public places with many abuses, severe thumping and tear gas must be a cause for concern. It's a cause for concern not for the authorities, but for the students themselves.

Political activism in universities: Is it permissible?

The recent chaos at the Peradeniya University which originated with the removal of a hostel name board by a group of students and the subsequent detention of the Deputy Vice Chancellor and two Deans, has brought a trite issue back to the centre of public debate: violence in Sri Lankan universities.

However, the incident which resulted in a lecturer's boycott and the suspension of eight students is also an example of the predominant role played by student unions in Sri Lanka's university system which is facing several dilemmas at present.

It is well-known that the 'student union' factor in the local university sector is inextricably linked more with politics than the welfare of university students for which the term seems to stand for.

In each university, there are 'student unions' under different names, often backed by powerful political parties in the country. While they do help the students in some ways, the main objective of these unions appears to be to propagate the ideals and policies of the political party they are aligned with.

This political activism witnessed within the university student community could have its advantages as well as disadvantages.

The principal argument in favour of permitting and encouraging political activism in higher education institutions will be the necessity to enlighten the future of the country on political issues and inculcate democratic values in them.

A university is considered a watershed for democratic values like the freedom of thought and the free expression of one's views, and it is based on this rationale that political activism is allowed in universities in most countries including Sri Lanka.

In fact the university has been the place where many great leaders commenced and moulded their political careers.

However, a glance at the past and the present of our university system could raise doubts as to whether political activism has truly served the noble purpose of promoting democratic political values among the university student population.

On the contrary, politically-backed 'student unions' are accused of being the frequent perpetrators of the violence in universities which culminated four years back in the brutal murder of an undergraduate by a fellow student within the Sri Jayewardenepura University premises.

They are also charged with promoting harmful practices like 'ragging' in the universities which have claimed more than one life in the past.

Against this backdrop of events, should political activism be permitted within the Sri Lankan university system? Or are student 'wings' of political parties the main cause for the culture of violence in universities today?

Write to us as we take up a fresh topic on Daily News Debate. Send in your contributions (in 750-1,000 words) to 'Daily News Debate', Daily News, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via e-mail to [email protected] before November 13, 2007.

Politics should not be allowed in universities

Prabhath Ishara Perera

Modern man of the twenty first century has gained tremendous advancements in their knowledge. The modern generation are more advanced than the previous.

When we consider about university students in our country, it is true they are broad minded than average people. Not only broad minded but also they are qualified than average people. Therefore, as they are broad minded they must be intelligent at their activities. In the other hand, some of the students never understand their capability.

There are two categories among the University students. One is violating the student behaviour and giving trouble to junior students (rag) and the other category is who dispute the above behaviour.

These two parties always try to increase their number of members. From their childhood some of them grove up with upheaval ideas. But they must not use it for violence.

Referring to the past few years, damages have been done due to some revolution? The government had to spend a lot on it as a result.

If this occurs frequently, the result will be closing of the University. Due to the closing of the University the consequence will be extending of the duration of the degree, which may take five years or more instead of four years. Therefore, students lose one year or more than that from their lives.

If we talk about the reality most of the University students are members of different political parties.

Why this violence in Universities? Some believe this is the passion of the students. Anyhow, this is still going on.

Is it permissible to do politics for students? The reasonable answer is No. The University students espouse to do their studies during their period. They are there to learn as much as they can and qualify. Not to do politics. It is not permissible to do politics for university students.

If this political violence ends, the universities will be heavens for students to do their studies well.

It should be curbed

Sampath Jayakody

University plays a major role academically in a person's education. Besides education, one needs to be vigilant of the entities take place in the society. Thus politics is a mechanism which keeps a personage aware of the political dimension of a society.

Therefore like all other things this consists of mileage and disadvantages as well. Politics is a good topic among men even to be discussed when they are free. A person cannot survive in a society for the sake of living. He must be educated in many ways lest he would be thrown out of others' vicinity.

In this particular Sri Lankan context there are many politicians who were strongly backed by the political activities in universities. On one hand it is good for individuals who hope to contribute their strength to this small island. So they can have a basic notion of politics. As a consequence of that there would be many individuals who are well aware of the political sphere.

Frankly, on the other hand these kind of activities may tarnish the names of the universities. University in Sri Lanka is a place where one can get higher education in order to seek a better livelihood.

If merely education is concerned people who say conceitedly that they have been selected to the university would be a predicament if they follow these things. Our university curriculum seems to have no innovations. They are still the old lethargic conventional syllabuses. It has not been changed and even the modus operandi with the students of teachers when teaching is orthodox as usual.

On the contrary these political units who are called as the perpetrators of violence sometimes culminate their arrogance by a murder because of the different political standpoints. Sometimes their conduct is very rude. When their psyche is not ready to acknowledge what others say that is the place they become irritated and annoyed of others. So we can't condone for every man, saying that doing mistakes is a human nature, can we?

Political activism witnessed in universities are usually backed by the political party they are aligned with. This helps those political parties to spread their ideas and indirectly it is said that they are always right. Besides this, when matters manifest their conduct might end them in the underworld. After that their lives would be devastated.

I have overheard that in other countries they allow political activism in universities. But we do not hear anything pertaining to politics in universities from other parts, do we? Further I have heard that although they are allowed they do not behave like our people, do they?

In addition to that some students execute some malpractices such as ragging. This is another vexed issue which has been reverberating on the public specially on the pupils. Students' sole purpose of attending the university is broken. Actually the word "Education" is sometimes missed.

Sometimes some political parties utilise this moment to spread violence. Their norm is to first lure the attention of the youths as they desire and unintentionally execute their actions. Sometimes as a result of this the sovereignty of the students' breaks.

Filled with different political opinions they look at each other in a crooked manner. The brotherhood which is much needed to the country as the fundamental thing for the peace is no more to be seen. When there is no peace among people, how can we expect peace in a country?

In my personal standpoint I suggest that political activism should not be prohibited but give students a chance. But this must not happen in a wrong manner. It must be curbed or in other words reduced in order to curb the violence inside the universities. And if they used the time solely for the political activism it may be a waste of precious time.

In Sri Lanka a person spends about three to four years in the university. Think how if they waste it. Time goes on, people decay, everything can be done twice and put off but not death. It can happen anytime.

Students must be given a chance but there must be a ceiling to it. Otherwise it may get worse. Thus political activism should be permitted in this context with closed doors to the violence. To achieve that it is incumbent on the relevant authorities of the universities to enact legislations equitable to both students and the universities.