tamil comunalism rises his head again
[COLOMBO, SinhalaNet 2008.08.24 07:41AM]
The Eastern University in Wandaramulla, Batticaloa has been closed indefinitely after unknown gunmen shot dead Sinhala student Sucharitha Pahan Samarasinghe (27) on August 21. All other Sinhala students have been sent home under guard after the killing that occurred in the students'hostel. Samarasinghe hailed from Pothuhera, Kurunegala
It has now been revealed that before Samarasinghe was murdered a threatening note had been posted on the door of his room, stating, "You will be killed and thrown into the sea."
The security personnel at the university had done nothing to when the shooting was first heard, according to other Sinhala students who fled the university with their bag and baggage following the killing.
After the murder a some students who had been selected for the Eastern University and were earlier willing to go there have now firmly refused to do so. Samarasinghe, who was the university cricket team's vice captain, was killed six months before he was due to complete his study course. He did his studies in the English medium but was also proficient in Tamil. He was the youngest in a family of three children – a brother and a sister - and studied at the Pothuhera Mahapitiya Vidyalaya and the Pothuhera Dutugemunu Madhya Maha Vidyalaya before he entered the university
It has now been revealed that the murder was an act of Tamil racists who feared that their power would be eroded by the entry of Sinhala students in large numbers to the university. Although LTTE power has been crippled in the East it does not necessarily mean that Tamil communalism has ended there, informed sources told SinhalaNet.
In 2004 the University Grants Commission decided to send 17 students to this university. In 2005-2007 their were no Sinhalese admitted to the university by the UGC. Then in 2008 Sinhalese number was increased to over 342 although only 180 were registered at the university and 101 students actually went there. However some of them did not stay in the hostel out of fear but stayed outside and attended lectures. The total number of students for the year 2008 is 745 including Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims.
Samarasinghe was their unofficial leader and persuaded them not to be scared of threats and leave the university.
The JVP however agitated calling upon the government not to send the 160 odd Sinhala students to the Eastern University and endanger their lives whereas the JHU insisted that Sinhala students like students of any other community had the right to do their studies in anywhere in the country.
What is intriguing here is that all the foreign funded human rights groups and 'peaceniks' who shouted from the rooftops when some Tamils were evicted from lodges in Colombo and Tamil students experienced problems in the South are deafeningly silent over the incidents at the Eastern University
