New JVP faction behind J’pura student demo - VC

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Thursday’s student demonstrations at the Sri Jayawardhanapura University that impacted on traffic in Colombo, was well planned action staged by the university’s new JVP faction.

Sri Jayawardhanapura University Vice Chancellor Dr Nanayakkara Liyanage Amaranath Karunaratna said yesterday, the new JVP faction had planned this move for weeks as a means to gain more political power in the university over the old JVP activists. Students say they started their protest on Thursday against the damage caused to a statue called ‘Viru Sisu Prathimawa’ which they regard as the symbol of students’ freedom. “We are protesting against the suppression of students in the university,” the protesters said.

Asked who is responsible for blasting the statue, the Vice Chancellor said, “When we study, there are lies, palpable lies and statistics.

‘First the statue has not been damaged to any extent that anyone can describe it as being bombed or blasted.”

“This was part of their plan. That is why they blame it on the security personnel at the university,” he explained.

“We get the services of the Rathnalanka Security Company for the security of the University. The firm functions under the Defence Ministry,” he said.

“It is interesting to note that the new faction JVP students had held classes for new university students from Monday and taught them about the importance of their Sisu Viru statue before they created a big scene on Thursday,” he stated.

“We also have reasons to believe that the new JVP faction in the university is funded by some external agencies. Most of these students come from poor families. However, they hardly dine at the campus canteen but eat from restaurants unlike other students,” he said. “They use expensive laptops, motorbikes and cell phones which are worth over Rs 50,000,” he explained.