Undergrads’ protest organised by JVP to gain political mileage - Media Minister

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

COLOMBO: The protest by undergraduates in Colombo on Thursday was organised by the JVP to gain political mileage against the Government, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said.

“The country knows that the JVP had setbacks in the recent past and is now weak. They have run out of ammunition and their political future is gloomy. Therefore they desperately need to sacrifice a student to hold on and push their party forward,” he told a press briefing at the Media Ministry yesterday.

Minister Abeywardena said if a student or two gets killed during the protest, it will be helpful to the JVP to face the Provincial Council Election in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

The JVP can sell the ‘incident’ well and campaign for the election. Since they are very weak at the moment, they are desperately seeking anything to hang on to,” the Minister said.

Abeywardena pointed out that the Government had made arrangements earlier to allow five students to hand over their petition to the President but they demanded to accompany 1,000 students.

“In any country, 1,000 students are not allowed to meet even an Opposition Leader. The President resides in the High Security Zone. There was a possibility that suicide bombers could enter with the students. The President earlier ordered not to attack protesters and this time police bore all attacks.

This must be shown on television channels. Some ask why the police let the students walk 12 miles without stopping them but if the police did it, the same people will say that the police is not allowing students even to hand over a paper to the President,” the Minister said..

”Persons who are in the Inter University Students’ Federation is in Parliament today and they do not have any problems. Their leaders’ children study in foreign universities without any problem. But they cause trouble for children of innocent poor parents of Sri Lanka.

I request to educate their children and make them understand the political intentions of certain political parties before the children enter State universities. They are waiting for them to enter universities to poison their minds with their outdated political philosophies,” the minister said.

Minister Abeywardena said that the Government is doing its best to upgrade higher education in Sri Lanka.

It spends Rs. 342,693 for one agriculture undergraduate, spends Rs.138,886 for an art undergraduate. Cabinet memorandums are submited often to provide more facilities for State universities.

Student hostel facilities have been provided in all universities. A total of 5,530 students in the Peradeniya university had been provided facilities in 2007. Hostel facilities were provided to another 2,490 students from the Colombo university in the same year, the Minister said.

The protesters questioned about school textbooks and they should have asked the question from the Education Minister.

He has already explained the issue to all parties. They also questioned about private universities. The Government has no plans to set up private universities. No decision has been taken in connection with this,” he said.

”I personally believe that we should have private universities because children from well to do families go abroad and do higher studies avoiding delays and all the other problems which affect the local university system. Students who can afford go abroad spending millions. They can study here spending much less money. It is poor parents’ children who study here,” the Minister added.