Campus clashes

The Kelaniya campus is in the news again. This time, it is not for academic excellence or innovation that it has hit media headlines. Unfortunately it is yet another instance of students clashing with the villagers. These clashes are as old as the University itself so that one could say that it is even a congenital malaise.

According to media reports, both students and villagers blame each other for the violence. Apparently it is a sequel to a lone incident a day before between some students and few villagers. The fact that it has led to a full scale war in which many innocents were attacked points to ambers of hatred and alienation that had been lying hidden in the relations between the students and the community surrounding the University.

Looking at the media visuals of villagers armed with clubs etc. congregating at the gates of the campus in broad daylight even disturbing the peaceful flow of traffic, while the law enforcement officers were looking on helpless, one could not dismiss allegations of political backing for the attackers. Whether such allegations are true or not lapses on the part of the Police seem evident.

Here we are not looking into the law and order aspects of the incident. Nor are we apportioning blame on this or that side. It is a matter for the Police and the University authorities to investigate and deal with appropriately.

We would like to dwell upon the larger issues that lie underneath that give rise to such periodic clashes. Nor is the Kelaniya University alone in this regard. The University of Jayewardenepura also has the same history. That shows it is an issue confined to the University system itself.

Every time such issues cropped up they were treated as mere law and order incidents. Either the police were blamed or the exuberance of youth was given as an excuse.

It is quite unfortunate that those in charge of higher education have not grasped the role of a University in the overall context of social development. What is being considered even belatedly and sporadically now, after 60 years of independence, is only the link between universities and economic development.

During the colonial era, the University was thought of as an institution that would produce the top bureaucrats for the civil administration, a stratum of educated elite contemplating on matters spiritual and philosophical that are far beyond the reach of ordinary 'punchisinghos and punchisinghoras".

A University has a role much bigger than teaching undergraduates and grooming post-graduate students. It has a social responsibility to assist the nation and especially neighbourhood communities in their socio-economic development. Facilities put up with state expense and hence on public money should be also used for community development by way of various services to the populace in the neighbourhood. They could be specialized medi-clinics or inter-action with social organizations on increasing awareness of the general population. They could also become centres of non-formal or adult education. In other words, universities should closely interact with their neighbourhoods at various levels and in various spheres so that the community would own the universities as their own. At present, our Universities tend to be regarded as privileged enclaves of a select few by the neighbourhood population. The Universities also have done nothing to alleviate these hostile feelings and displayed an air of intellectual arrogance.

It is not the students alone that could be blamed for the present unsatisfactory situation. Education authorities, the University academia and policy-makers are to be blamed more. It is also a result of our inability to think out of the box and discard the ingrained colonial mentalities inherited from the days of yore.

The present clashes would be a blessing in disguise if those concerned are alerted to look into these wider issues and take appropriate remedies to make our Universities, centres of academic excellence as well as centres of assistance to their neighbourhood communities.

An appeal

Now that the war is over, the next challenge facing the Nation is development. The President made a fervent appeal to all citizens to contribute so that we may succeed in facing the enormous challenge of development.

We would like to just point out how one could respond to the President's appeal at no extra cost or sacrifice.

Simply do your duty honestly. If all do an honest job of work for eight hours at their work places, how much would the country gain in economic terms? Remember time wasted or time lost due to non-punctuality means lost man hours and any remuneration gained during that period of time is money robbed.