Nearly 9,834 undergraduates had given up their studies at state universities during the past 15 years due to brutal ragging by their seniors, according to the latest survey conducted in state universities countrywide.
An informal survey has revealed that nearly 9,903 female undergraduates had been subject to sexual harassment by their seniors. Kurunegala District School Principals’ Association President R. A. M. Jayasinghe Bandara told a meeting of school heads in the Kurunegala district on Wednesday that unpatriotic and pessimistic political elements who resort to violence mislead the undergraduates and this has led to this unfortunate trend in state universities.
He said extremist political leaders exploit university students to achieve their sinister political goals by provoking them against the rulers of the country. These political elements forcibly get the undergraduates to take part in protest campaigns on the main roads to fulfill their dreams of capturing power at the expense of youth. Misguided senior students in state universities had taken the lead to deprive others of the free education system in Sri Lanka introduced by Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara, the father of free education in Sri Lanka, who was the first Education Minister of Independent Sri Lanka, he said. Bandara said parents and guardians who are frustrated about the brutal and indecent ragging in state universities have encouraged their children to study at private universities since no ragging is permitted in private universities. Nearly 5,806 students who were brutally ragged by seniors in state universities have already commenced their higher academic activities in private universities in the country. He said, “For decades, ragging of a brutal nature has been taking place in state universities and over 195 undergraduates had committed suicide or become disabled for life. Who takes the responsibility for these tragedies?” Only parents and students suffer due to such irreparable losses. Poor parents spend much money by even mortgaging their properties or borrowing loans from state banks at high interest rates to get their children qualified to study in state universities. Ultimately, these inhuman, crazy monsters who pretend to be saviours ruin the lives and future of the youth in the country, he added.
“If this unwholesome and tragic trend continues, no students who love their lives would come to study in state universities in the future because parents value their children’s lives more than degree certificates of State Universities”, he added.
****
Move to check ragging
Human Rights circles to be set up in state universities
By S.M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala corr.
State Minister of Higher Education Dr. Suren Raghavan has decided to set up Human Rights circles in all 17 state universities to check ragging.
He has taken steps to consult the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to obtain the guidelines in this regard.
“Many junior undergraduates of state universities fear to complain against the senior students who rag them in fear of death and fatal physical injuries,” State Minister Raghavan told the Sunday Observer.
The State Minister was outlining the possible remedies and future plans of the Higher Education Ministry on putting a full stop to the brutal ragging in state universities.
He said, “We have planned to provide such victims academic opportunities in other universities or foreign universities hereafter. Else, these victimised students would be granted foreign scholarships which are offered to the Government by international organisations and foreign countries.”