Colombo attempts to officially block students from marking Heroes Day at Jaffna University

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 November 2019, 23:28 GMT]
The occupying unitary state of genocidal Sri Lanka has instructed the Competent Authority at the University of Jaffna to declare the premises of the University out of bounds to the student community on Tamil Eelam Heroes Day and the day after. Professor K Kandasamy has issued a letter to this effect on Tuesday. In the meantime, the student leaders of Jaffna University Student Union have been instructed not to stage any event inside the university premises on 26 and 27 November, also by the Competent Authority, Prof Kandasamy. However, the students have vowed to proceed with the remembrance event on Wednesday as planned.



Occupying Sri Lanka’s University Grant Commission (UGC) removed the Vice-Chancellor of Jaffna University, Professor Ratnam Vigneswaran from the post without any explanation in May 2019. It is widely believed that he was removed from the position after he was present in events such as the unveiling of a renewed Pongku Thamizh memorial plaque inside the premises of the Jaffna University. The latest move coming through the “competent authority” is also indicative of the trend, Tamil academics at the University of Jaffna said adding that the UGC was even “disciplining” Tamil academics from engaging in legal practice against the SL military commanders.

The UGC has been influencing the administrations of the universities in the North and East to admit more Sinhala students, particularly after 2009.

The UGC, the controlling body of the University System under the unitary state of genocidal Sri Lanka, is tightly controlled by the SL State through Sinhala academics.

The current UGC has a Tamil and Muslim academic among its seven members who are appointed by the SL President. The Tamil and Muslim “inclusion” is only a symbolic one, and it has no impact on the decision-making of the body, which is controlled by the SL Minister of Higher Education.

Bandula Gunawardana, a strong supporter of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, assumed duties as SL Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovations on 22nd of November, 2019.

Chronology: