As a new faction challenges the long-standing leadership of the IUSF, the battle over legitimacy, political influence and education reform intensifies:
The Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), a longstanding champion of free education and students rights, is beset by a leadership crisis as a newly formed group claims the mantle of the organisation. The organisation which played a vital role during the 2022 Aragalya protests has caused much controversy following the incident as the dispute has sparked intense debate over the legitimacy of student representation across the nation.
IUSF’s established leadership, headed by Convenor Madushan Chandrajith, has vehemently rejected the breakaway group’s claim, denouncing it as a Government backed attempt to fracture the student movement and weaken opposition to education reform and privatisation. Chandrajith accused the new faction of deploying official logos, letterheads and publicity campaigns to mislead the student body and the public.
Despite Convenor Chandrajith’s claim, the IUSF not being a registered legal entity has created a conflict in the official recognition of both the old and the new federations. The Sunday Observer spoke to the IUSF and the breakaway-IUSF representatives to understand the future of Sri Lanka’s most influential Student Movement.
A parallel Federation emerges
On July 20, student representatives from more than 15 student bodies from universities including Peradeniya, Colombo, Kelaniya, Moratuwa and Sri Jayewardenepura announced the formation of an “independent and representative” IUSF at Peradeniya University. Sasindu Perera, the new Convenor of this emergent faction, said the move reflected widespread dissatisfaction with the existing IUSF leadership, particularly its perceived alignment with political interests.
Perera told a press conference that the new Group is supported by student unions across 16 higher education institutions and pledged a focus on welfare and national education over partisan activism. He accused the old guard of alienating public trust through rigid internalised politics.
Perera told the Sunday Observer that while the IUSF is made up as a collective of Student Movements spread throughout the State universities islandwide, over the years the Student Movement of Sri Lanka disassociated itself with the IUSF due a multitude of reasons. One of the major reasons, according to Perera, has been the undue political influence that has taken over the primary goals and causes the IUSF has advocated for in the past.
“It has become a cult that is fighting for an agenda of political factions. The IUSF was formed and should be a front that fights for free education, right to education and students rights, not play for someone else’s agenda,” said Perera.
In response to the legitimacy of the new and the old IUSF, Perera said that the support and the faith of the students have now been placed in the breakaway IUSF as the previous leaderships have failed in fighting for the students’ rights.
He said that given the power of the opposition to the newly reformed IUSF, it is reasonable for people to have doubts and be cautious, but the reformed IUSF will prove to the people that they are fighting for the well-being of students and not for certain political parties including the National People’s Power (NPP).
“All of the University Students’ Unions from Colombo University to Peradeniya University – 15 of them are standing with us. These are the Unions that were present at the inception of IUSF in the 1970s. Who is with them (old guard)? The people will soon realise that we are the true IUSF,” said Perera.
Supporters of Perera’s faction said that fresh leadership is necessary to break away from FSP domination and restore public confidence in student representation. By launching the rival organisation from the Peradeniya University, the birthplace of the IUSF in 1969, the Group aimed to symbolically reclaim the original ethos of independent student activism.
In response to the newly emerged IUSF, the established IUSF ran a press statement alleging that the new IUSF comprises NPP representatives and has been formed to create chaos among the Student Movements in the country. The Convenor of the established IUSF Chandrajith told the media that over 11 university Student bodies continue to support the IUSF led by him.
“The IUSF is a powerhouse that led the Aragalaya in 2022 – a powerhouse of Leftist politics in Sri Lanka’s history. The IUSF is a culture. It is not something a pack of lap-dogs in the Government can lay claim to overnight,” said Chandrajith.
A politically charged rift
Many political observers interpret the split as a proxy battle between two left wing political factions – the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led NPP coalition and the breakaway Frontline Socialist Party (FSP).
Historically, the IUSF enjoyed strong ties with the JVP. However, following the FSP’s emergence in 2012, control gradually shifted. The current IUSF Convenor, Madushan Chandrajith, and his predecessor, Wasantha Mudalige, are widely regarded as aligned with FSP ideology.
With the JVP-led NPP now in Government, the emergence of a rival IUSF aligned with the ruling coalition is viewed by critics as an orchestrated move to weaken the traditionally militant student body. Chandrajith accused his opponents of serving as “Government puppets” and added that the faction’s goal is to dampen resistance to proposed education sector reforms backed by the Executive.
However, the President of the Students’ Union at the University of Peradeniya, Rasula Bandara who is part of the newly formed IUSF, dismissed these allegations. Bandara told the Sunday Observer that such allegations are part of a disinformation campaign carried out by those who want to discredit the newly reformed Movement.
“If we are JVP or NPP, the students and the people of this country can see how we will carry out our struggles on the streets in the near future. They can then decide whether we are for the well-being of the Government or the well-being of the students,” said Bandara.
While acknowledging that the Student Movements in Sri Lanka has historically been a political Movement, Bandara said that the IUSF must not become a tool of any particular party He said that the existing IUSF, which has deteriorated in the past few years has now fallen victim to agendas of political parties. While the Student Movement must not only be a space for a set of students with a specific political ideology and create space for both representation and dialogue for all students – Bandara said that the breakaway Group – the IUSF will not move away from its Leftist policies and advocacy which is a major pillar in its fight for free education.
Student democracy at stake
The rivalry casts a spotlight on deeper concerns within student democracy. The IUSF has long been criticised for opaque internal procedures, lack of gender representation, and organisational inertia, especially during sensitive debates on education reform. It has come under severe scrutiny from the academics and the public for its lack-luster approach in tackling the “ragging” culture, which many claim to be carried out with a certain degree of compliance of the IUSF. As the two factions contest for legitimacy, public pressure is mounting for greater transparency and accountability.
Bandara said that universities stand as a reflection of the general society and that such issues cannot be addressed without taking a holistic approach. He also added that the new IUSF will prioritise ending the ragging culture and fostering a student culture based on acceptance and empathy. He also said that female students will play a more significant role in the new IUSF as members believe it is vital to lead by example.
“Over 40,000 students join our higher education system each year. Of them, more than 60 percent are female students. Not only within the IUSF but also in national politics, women must be given a more prominent role. We as the IUSF must break the mould,” said Bandara.
He said that following its re-emergence in 1996, after political suppression due to its involvement in the JVP insurrection in the late 1990s, for the first time, the IUSF led by its Convener Perera had appointed several female students as office-bearers.
IUSF Vice Secretary Gayesha Nuwanthi from the Faculty of Management at the University of Uva Wellassa is the first female student in the IUSF to hold one of the most prominent offices in its upper mantle. Bandara said that the new IUSF stays committed in reforming itself to meet the progress the society is looking forward to.
While the newly formed breakaway Group, the IUSF seems promising, its commitments remain to be tested. At stake is not merely the control of logos or press releases, but the direction of student activism in Sri Lanka. Both factions have issued statements emphasising their commitment to opposing privatisation, though their tactics and political affiliations differ sharply. As the rivalry intensifies, the wider academic community and the public will be watching to see whether the schism leads to fragmentation or reform.
