It would be wise to heed this call

Some sections of the young of this country are alarmed and angry. On top of the universities being non-functional for weeks, came the shocks over the Z-score-linked cluster of questions which had scores of our youngsters in throes of fury and anguish. It would be the height of foolishness for the government to remain idly by while these problems fester and a degree of relief could be derived from the fact that some remedial measures are now underway in respect of the university admissions issue.

While the country waits in eager anxiety for positive moves by the state to resolve the work stoppage by university Dons over salary and other grievances, a special communiqué was issued under the hand of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, calling on the academics to return to work on July 30, while mentioning some other matters of relevance. This special communiqué is reproduced by us on our front page today and it is our hope that it would prove effective in resolving the crisis in our universities.

We believe the academics would be acting in the best interests of this country by responding positively to this call to return to duty.

This country is witness to the devastating consequences of allowing youth grievances to go unaddressed.

The 30 year conflict, which all but left Sri Lanka in ruins, was closely bound up with the unresolved issues of some sections of this country's Northern youth.

The South of Sri Lanka too was rocked by youth insurgencies and these occurred in 1972 and 1989-1990. We are yet to fully resolve the issues that triggered these armed insurgencies and the country could not be said to be completely free of the threat of youth unrest-linked violence. Accordingly, it would be in the national interest for our striking Dons to heed the state's call to resume their duties.

There are thousands of university undergraduates who are currently in a state of bitter frustration over the interruption of their higher studies and it would be the height of negligence for the supposedly enlightened and educated sections of our adult population to ignore the condition of these troubled youths.

It is not our point that all these youngsters are violence-prone but the likelihood is great that the more volatile among them would come under the sway of those destructive political forces which are on a collision course with the state.

Moreover, it is only a matter of time before those whose hopes are frustrated, take to militant politics with a view to changing their condition. This being the case, it would be dangerously irresponsible of our university lecturers to allow their wards to wither in frustration and disenchantment.

We call on the Dons to return to their duties and seek to remain engaged with the state with the aim of resolving their grievances. In fact, the Dons are now being seen as working against the national interest by very many as a result of their prolonged strike action. These perceptions, our Dons should consider as a slur on their dignity.

The state, on the other hand, should seek to advance the current fitful dialogue with the striking academics, and, to the extent possible, resolve their grievances.

We believe a closer and more earnest dialogue between the parties would prove fruitful. The academics should seek what is realistic and the state should concede what is reasonable and fair of these demands.

However, we are obliged to point out that our academics are not being exemplary at all by their general approach to resolving their grievances. They are in no way helping to eradicate indiscipline in this country by resorting to strike action.

The volatile among the younger generation, who are in need of role models with regard to exemplary living, are bound to take after their striking teachers and adopt the same uncompromising, somewhat militant attitude when seeking to resolve their issues. Militancy, however, is not at all helpful in grievance-resolution.