Jaffna University’s Health Is A Measure Of Tamils’ Future
By Rajah S. Rajasingham -August 25, 2014
A university in Sri Lanka under the Universities Act of 1978 is governed by both internal and external members. The internal members are specified leaders in the university (such as the VC, Deans, Senate Reps, etc.). The UGC then nominates an equal number of external members, with one additional member to ensure probity in decision making. In practice however the government in power supplies this list to the UGC and the UGC rubber stamps these political appointments.
De Facto VC Douglas at Opening at Kilinochchi
While some excellent appointments have been made at the other universities, Sinhalese governments have felt free to use the University of Jaffna purely for patronage and political control. Things took a turn for the worse at Jaffna when Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government appointed palm readers and uneducated temple priests to return personal favours without consideration for university welfare. After marking attendance to get the attendance stipend and reading palms, these appointed Council members would leave because they had no investment in the university and could not follow the proceedings in English. Even at that time care was taken to have some TNA nominees who were often lawyers, district judges and such like. Occasional good appointments also happened when there were vacancies when the government did not interfere and let the UGC do its job. Two such appointments attempting diversity were unfortunately thwarted – a Paraya caste principal who spoke up at Council meetings was murdered by the LTTE in tit-for-tat killing when the government murdered an LTTE-leaning principal; and a carpenter caste Director of Education was bullied by Tamils into not accepting his appointment.
