Outstation undergrads demand safe travel to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 January 2007, 23:16 GMT]
The special meeting, presided by the Jaffna University Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. K. Kumaravadivelu and attended by faculty heads and lecturers held Wednesday at Jaffna campus to explore ways to provide safe travel arrangements to the outstation students back to Jaffna, when the Jaffna University reopens January 22, ended without inconclusively, according to University sources. The Jaffna campus was closed indefinitely when clashes erupted between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on August 11.

The insecure and uncertain atmosphere prevailing in the peninsula gave no room to arrive at a suitable solution to the safety issue, the sources said.

Amidst killings, abductions and disappearances of students increasing at an alarming rate in the peninsula, the outstation students from Vanni, Mannar and Eastern districts numbering more than 800, had demanded assurance from the University authorities to their safety, if they are to return to Jaffna campus.

The outstation students can only be brought to Jaffna by sea because of the SLA closure of A9. Matters related to providing safe board and lodging with private residents for those who cannot find place in the campus hostels were also discussed in the meeting.

Although Prof. Kumaravadivelu had already conferred with the SLA Northern Region Commander Maj. Chandrasiri on providing secure travel and stay arrangements to the outstation undergrads, he is still to receive a response from the SLA, the sources added.

The Jaffna University will soon release a detailed report on matters related to student safety during travel and stay in Jaffna.

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