Sudath Gunasekara21.12. 2011
Apropos Gamini Gunawardhana’s article in the SundayIslandof 11th instant on the above subject I thought to add one of my own experiences in this regard in support of his practical approach.
Gaminis note is an eye opener and food for thought for everybody. This is good stuff I think not only for our arrogant and conceited politicians who think that they know everything and only their will and sankalpaya should prevail but also to everyone dealing with higher education. It is how an educated, intelligent, cultured and matured person would naturally look at this issue. But of course you can’t expect that wisdom from a politician of the day.  I would like to recall my own experience at Moratuwainstitute of HNDE in 1993, when I was Secretary to the Ministry of Technical Education.
That was the time when Moratuwa students were permanently on strike and every other day they come with placards and demonstrate before the Ministry of Higher Education on the road at the Ward Placeopposite the Lipton round about shouting slogans against the administration. As I remember it was the third or fourth day after I assumed duties as the Secretary to the newly created Ministry of Technical Education to which the Subject of Technical Education was transferred. The students stormed the Ministry premises and a delegation was taken in for negotiations. The meeting was presided over by M D P Peiris the then Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education.  It was also attended by my good friend Professor Luxman  Jaytilaka former Vice Chancellor Peradeniya who happened to be the  Chairman of the National Education Commission at that time. The Principal of the Institute was also present. I too attended the meeting as the New Secretary in charge of the subject of Technical Education. After the students presented their case and no sooner Mr. Peiris outlined his position the student leaders got up from their seats in protest and said they are walking out as they have no faith in the proceedings as it was the same old story they have heard in all their previous meetings with the Ministry officials.  The leader of the delegation said that it was the 127th time they are meeting the officials of the ministry and they also have met the previous Minister Higher Education Mr. Hameed 47 times who promised to alleviate their grievances but nothing has happened up to date. In their own words as I could remember this is how they reacted.

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 “Lekam tumani api me karanayagena sakachcha kirimata ekasiyavisihath watavak mehe avith tiyenawa. Ametituma hatalishath vatwak munagehuna. Ape prasna visadana bavata likitha poronduwakuth  dunna.Namuth ada wenaturu prasna tibunu tenamai. Me sakachchawa genath apata kisi visvasayak neha.  E nisa api iwathwa yanawa’ and they all rose to their feet.
Then I interrupted and asked the Chairman whether I could speak to the children. He said yes and only then he introduced me as the new Secretary to the Ministry in charge of Technical Education.
Then I said, Karunakarala oya daruwo tikak wadiwenawada.  Oya duruwao kiyana kathawa ettak nam mama unath okama tama ganna tiranaya. Kohoma unath aluth Lekam vasayen mama kemetie oya daruwoth ekka me prsanaya gena katha karanta.Hebeimehedi newei  Oyagollange ayatanayedi. Oyagolla kemetinam adama havasa 2.30 ta mama ehata ennam. They agreed.
So as appointed I went to Moratuwa with Luxman sharp at 2.25. Prof Luxman had already prepared a report on this issue as the Chairman of the National Education Commission as such he knew the ramifications of the issue. That is why took him with me.
When I was about to leave for Moratuwa my good friend the Principal of theMaradanaTechnicalCollegerang me up and advised me to take few police officers also if I am going there as the situation there is very tense and volatile. I smiled at his suggestion and told him that as for me there is no such need as I am going there only to solve their problems and after all they are like my own children. I also told my friend that I had been the Principal of a School with nearly thousand students before joining the SLAS. And this is nothing new to me. Any way I thanked him for his concern over my safety.  
As we went to Moratuwa the boys and girls were assembled right in front of the office. They were dancing and singing enjoying their usual adolescence. I asked the driver to take the vehicle right there. They immediately stopped singing and dancing. As we got down from the car they dispersed.  As got down from the vehicle I told them. “Ha ha oyagollage wede digatama geniyanta me kale kiyane neti sindu natanne neti netum aye kawadda karanne. Api awe oya gollange prasna gena kata karanta. Ara ude Amatyanseta giya ayagen niyojitayo pasdenek vitarak enta.”

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There were posters and banners all over the place as usual demanding this and that. Most of them were red and black. The premises resembled a market place just after a JVP political rally.
 We sat down inside the office along with the Principal and I opened the discussion. First I talked to them and inquired about their names, age, schools, A level results and family backgrounds etc. Having thereby collected the background information I wanted to build up my discussion and put them at ease I shifted on to the second phase of the discussion.
Matath innawa oyagollangema  vayase daruvo tundenek. E nisa mama isselama kiyanta kemetie mama oygolla diha balanne magema daruvo diha balana vidiyata kiyala. Mama kemati ne mage daruvo ayale yanawa dakinta. Den balanta oyagolla ge wayasa. 24, 25 samaharu 29 30 tath kittuwela.  oyagolla boho denekuta A. B. C grading tiyenawa. E anuwa etta wasayenma oya aya inta one Visvavidyale. Bohodena passwela rassawalata gihinuth inta one kale den. Ehe ida neti nisa mehe evala.  Ehema netuwa vibhage pel nisa newei mehe inne. Eka oya daruwange waradak newei. Kramaye warada. Mama e gena oya daruwo wenuwen kanagatu wenawa. Namuth Matawath oya daruwantawath den ekata kalaheki deyak nehe. Den kalpana karanta one me tatwen goda ena vidiyak. Pelapali gihin, poster gahala. Ke gahala kawadawath e satana dinaganta behe. MAtaka tiyaganta  Sri Pade naginta tiyenne eka parak vitarak newei kiyala. Koi paren hari kanda nagina eka ne wedagat.  E nisa oya daruwo adhistana karargranta one mehe vibhage ikmanata pass wela  eliyata gihilla ikmanata ingineruwek wennne kohomda kiyana eka gena misa ehema netuwa poster gahamin, satanpata kiyamin  pelapali yana eka newei.  Pattara karayek avith me poster , pelapali wala pintura aran pattare dammoth ita passƒÆ’†’© vibhage pass unath me kape  Moratuwe HNDE kivama rassawak ganta labena ekak nehe.Apoara Mortuwe strike karayo neda kiyalai oyagolla diha balanne. E nisa api daruweni yathartaya terum ganta one. Eka karanta oyagollanta puluwan bava mama dannawa. Mokada mole tiyena buddhimath aya nisa. E anuwai katayutu karanata one. Etakotai wetila inna walen goda entapuluwan. Aluth Lekam vasayen mama sudanam oya gollange getalu visandaganta uparima sahaya denta.
 Ape kale nam 23 24 wenakotaapiUniversityeken pitawela rssawalatath gihilla, Samaharu kasadath bendala. Oyagolla tawamath mehe poster gahanawa. pelapali yanawa. Manussa jiivitaye vatinama kale wana bhadra yauvanaya aparade gevi yanawa. Me vidiyata digatama giyoth tawa tika kalayak yanakota oyagollanne vatina tarunya gevila gihin as penenne neti,kanahenne neti, nahara viyalunu, ilpunu mahallan bawata patwenawa. Etakota oyagolla tamantath wedakneti, demavpiyantath wedak neti ratatath wedak neti pirisak bawata patwenawa neda.
Den balanta oya ayage demwpiyo  noka, nobii, dukmahansivela, idakadam ukas tiyala netna vikunala samaharavita kanakara pawa ukaskarala oya daruwanta ugannala tiyene monataram balaporutthu tiyagenada. Mage putha duwa dostara kenek , ingineruwek wenawa dakinta kiyala E aya sihina mawanta eti. Adatath e balaporottu hise daragena, tamange puta duwa loku mahattayek , loku nona kenek wela lassanat endagena car ekakin gedara enawa dkinta des dalwagena para diha balagena innawa eti. Itin e  ayage balaporottu  mehema pissu kelala indala kohomada isthakaranne.
Mama me okkoma kiyanne oyagollanta tiyena adaraya nisa. E hinda me pissu atheradala honda daruwo wage issellama vibhagayen samath wenta balanta. Ita passĮՠթ rassawkata gihin, ara duppath demavpiyange gindarath nivala, Kasadayak ehemath bendagena manussayo wenta balanta. Api ita passĮՠթ me asadharanakam walata viruddhawa satan karamu. Amataka kranta epa me wage samaja asadharanakam tiyenne ada vitarak newei. Edath tibuna .hetath tiyei. Eka loke heti.
Den Honda daruvo wage hondata hitala balanta. Koi maganda toraganne kiyala
Hondai den itin kiyanta mata ehema karanta beriwenta oya gollanta tiyena prasna monawada kiyala .
After that without a hum promptly they submitted their demands.
I give you the five demands they listed below.
1 Appointment of a Director to be in charge of the Institute
2 Request for a copy of the Luxman Jayatilaka report
3  Admission of all those who have passed the entrance examination in the previous years.
4 Shifting the HNDE course venue toMaradanaTechnicalCollege
5 Provide the Institute with some basic equipments listed.
Thereafter I promised to give a copy of the Luxman Jayatilaka Report next morning on the undertaking that it will not be misused as it is not yet officially out and asked the President and Secretary of the Students Union to come to my office at 9 o’clock in the morning.
Also I told them I will appoint a Director within two weeks the latest and send admission letters to all those who are qualified to enter the Institute as soon as they call off the strike, return to their classes and resume studies. If they do it today I will post the admission letters tomorrow I told them.  The equipments I told them would be provided as soon as possible without any undue delay.
Regarding the request for the shifting of the HNDE Course to Maradana, I told them I need time as it had to be studied carefully in details before a decision is taken as it has wide implications.
They agreed and paid a glowing tribute to me for agreeing for all their demands. Thereafter they also did not forget to follow the two of us to the car and even to see that the doors were properly shut after we got in.
The whole thing did not take even 15 minutes. That is how a long standing impasse was sorted out in 15 minutes 
On our way back Luxman was full of praise for the way I resolved a problem that appeared to be intractable and was hanging on for years.
Follow up
1 Next day the two boys were there at 8.30 at my office at theWard Place.  I gave them a copy of the Jayatilaka Report as promised of course reminding them of the undertaking they made at the meeting we had with them in the previous evening. They also did not forget to kneel down before me and thank me once again for the way I sorted out their 3 year old struggle.
2 At 9 O’clock I got a call from the Principal of the Institute expressing her surprise for the way how the 3 year long student agitation came to an end. She said, immediately after two of us left the premises the previous day the students removed all the banners and posters and even cleaned up the whole place before they left for the day promising her that they all will report for classes next morning. She was telling me that it was like a magic for her. I asked her to officially confirm the end of the strike and resumption of classes within an hour. As soon as the official confirmation was received I asked the office to send out Admission letters to all those who were qualified to gain Admission.
Early next morning I visited the Institute to see how things were going and I was happy to see that I had achieved the mission to my full satisfaction.  I also made it appoint to meet the staff and the student leaders and brief them on their new challenge.
 3 Immediately I called for applications for the post of Director and within one week I was able to appoint Professor Arthanayaka of the Open University with clear instructions of his mandate. I also gave him  an official vehicle and I must mentioned it here that he did a wonderful job as its first Director although I had to leave the Ministry in few days as I was appointed as the Secretary to Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s new Ministry after the formation of the new government.
Lessons one has to learn from this experience.
One has to look at University Students as your own children in their prime adolescence, by nature, they are rebels. If they are not, then they are not youths at all. They should not be mistaken for factory workers or labourers in a market place. After all they are the cream of the intelligentsia who will turn out to be the future leaders of this country tomorrow in all fields.
Few suggestions for better discipline
 Finally I may also like to remind those in authority that there are many more urgent things to do than posting volatile police posts and punish the students for trifle things to put the Universities on the correct path enabling them to face the challenges of the new brave world. What one has to develop in Universities in my view is intellectual confrontation and certainly not authoritarian confrontation. Only such intellectual enlightenment will make these undergraduates true future leaders. Vidya dadati Vinayam. Knowledge begets discipline. Trying to apply it the other way about is foolish if not idiotic. After all we must not forget that the motto of the University is Sarvasya lochanam sastram, which means knowledge is the eye for everything.  Therefore what is lacking and needed in places of higher studies I think today is academic discipline not political or military discipline as some people think. Proper academic discipline keep them involved in academic and aesthetics pursuits so that they will have no idle time to waste on nefarious activities like ragging, party politics, demonstrations and riots.
Of course this is not to say the least that disciplinary measures are not required at the seats of higher learning. But such disciplinary measures should be ultimately geared to achieve the basic objectives of University education. Things like the present day sadistic ragging; organizing students to achieve political ends by interested parties I think should be stopped forthwith. A proper student counseling scheme by the University staff might bring this confusion down to naught.  In the first place the students must be clearly told as they come in, why they have come to the Universities. This is never done as far as I know.  When policy makers and politicians are divorced from the purpose of University education; University teachers also get divorced from the basic objectives of University education; and when there is no proper student counseling naturally students also get divorced from their primary aims of University life and as a result they engage in other nefarious pursuits. In fact the students are never told why they are there. It is this fertile vacuum that is being presently exploited by political parties and anti social elements to further their own selfish ends. These students become a cat’s paw in the ugly and vicious hands of the aforesaid elements. If that vacuum is properly filled I opine student will engage in things of their own and make full use of this newly won independence to excel in academic excellence  that build both discipline and character that in turn will make them useful to themselves and the society at large. 
 It must also be noted that brake down in discipline today is not something peculiar to the seats of higher studies though it has reached the zenith now a days where students assault their own teachers and student tell what the teachers should teach. Look at the Parliament the so-called supreme body of legislature in the country. Look at the behavior of politicians both inside and outside Parliament. Today people identify the most popular politicians with characters like Mervin, Duminda or Muthuhettigama.  The fact that the term “ƒ”¹…”Magodistuma’ has now come to stay permanently in the media to designate the politician alone is enough to understand the true public assessment of the character of the present day politicians in his country.  
So in this scenario total breakdown in discipline and morals has to be viewed as a common malady that has reached almost incurable levels in our whole system. Therefore restoring discipline and moral standards in this country has to be addressed as a top priority lest the whole social system break down to a no return situation.
 Coming back to the subject of student violence we all know it is a very complicate issue. Abundance of enough spare time due to absence of clear academic discipline, perversity and social hatred, ignorance of the purpose of University education among the students and apparent uncertainty of their future and wide spread social injustice and party politics could be cited as some major factors that have brought about this unfortunate situation in our Universities. Therefore, a serious attempt has to be made immediately to arrest this tragic situation before everything go out of control.  Ad hoc and ill-conceived programmes like leadership training will only further aggravate the situation. It reminds me the famous Sinhala saying “ƒ”¹…”Atisarayata amunda gesiima. Atisaraya has to be treated with the proper medicine. You cannot cure it by wearing a loin cloth. It is as simple as that. This proverb shows that our ancient villagers were more knowledgeable than the present day politicians and policy makers in the field of education. The appointment of a high powered and competent Commission to go fully in to this matter I think is a crying need of the hour. Meanwhile I suggest that as a first step in putting the seats of higher learning on the correct tract ban all students unions and activities other than those directly connected with academic, student welfare and aesthetic pursuits
Is it not better for the government to try to first put the national Universities in to order before they dabble in International Universities that might even further aggravate this problem. In this regard as a first step shouldn’t we free our Universities from all types political interferences and allow them to grow as independent institutions of academic and cultural excellence.