Military Invasion of Universities in Sri Lanka?

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(June 27, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the article ‘Leadership Training – Why Not the Universities?’ by Ms Anne Abayasekera, published in Sri Lanka Guardian.

The article, to my mind, upholds the analyses by the Friday Forum.

The author asks ‘It is surely the universities themselves that are best qualified to devise and implement appropriate programmes for university entrants?’

To the extent the Universities are Independent of the Government – the answer is ‘yes’. If on the other hand, Universities feel dependent on the Government – the answer to the above question, in my mind is ‘no’. A University needs to first feel Independent or at least be ‘seen’ to be independent, to earn the privilege of structuring its own courses. The Sri Lankan Government was not influenced by strong intellectual power to prevent and then defeat its enemy in the recent war. It needed military power – not only the power it developed but external military power. Hence if we step out of our circle of ‘high thinkers’ and observe from the outside, we would appreciate the Truth – that the Sri Lankan Government in its current make up is better at using military power than intellectual power. Hence the shift even within the Universities.

Why have the Universities not produced their own intellectual protests against the move towards military training in Universities? If I were the Government I would also block moves to let universities formulate their own courses in relation to Management, until I am satisfied that they are independent of the Government as well as the private sector. Universities usually show power above those who are seen to be below them in status. True independence would confirm commonness expect when known otherwise through merit basis as per the core purposes of the University. The core purposes of Universities are Research and Teaching. When teaching activities exceed research – Universities start depending on students. When research activities exceed teaching – Universities tend to isolate themselves from society. As per my observations – Sri Lankan Universities suffer from the former. The solution would be to balance teaching to equal research – especially into the causes that have resulted in military invasion of Universities.

The author says ‘It’s enlightening to read that "No mention is made of the authority responsible for the curriculum, but a prominent photograph of the Defence Secretary on the cover of the study guide suggests authorship by the Defence establishment." Are we then surprised at the course content of a leadership training that seems more intent on producing "Yes" men and women rather of well-rounded, tolerant citizens who can think for themselves.’

The goal of Research - one of the two core purposes of a wholesome University - is to seek and find Truth. Such seekers would not need to tolerate. Our former Australian Prime Minister Mr. John Howard also used the word ‘tolerance’ in relation to race. To me, this meant that Mr. Howard was ‘tolerant’ of Asian migrants and was yet to feel ‘common’ with them. To my mind, Mr. Howard’s conduct would have been different if Mr. Howard had consciously invested in Racial Equality at least through intellectual understanding of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, towards which he had the opportunity when I sued him on that basis. To my mind, those of us who did practice Racial Equality through National Commonness, and shared the benefits with our respective communities and those of us who were really hurt by Racial Discrimination – conscious and/or subconscious – dismissed Mr. Howard through elections. We added our strengths to a White Australian with lesser attachment to racial superiority. We did not wait to ‘produce’ a candidate of Asian origin to oppose Mr. Howard, nor did we ‘tolerate’ Mr. Howard. To my mind, my genuine efforts to challenge the Prime Minister through due processes available to me – did contribute to the dismissal. Likewise with all other victims who did all they believed they could to share their experiences with the community they felt a part of – instead of taking revenge. When we are genuine we naturally connect through Common Faith to others in that natural group to ultimately rise as a group, above the group that hurt us.

To me, the Tamil Diaspora would be more effective if they followed the Australian example and helped bring down the regime that it feels has hurt the Tamil Community most. Through military analysis – it would be the current one. Through intellectual analysis – it would be the one that loses the wider path to travel with the International community by remaining part of Sri Lanka – albeit as the intellectual opposition and military competitor of the Government.

A graduate is assessed not only as per her/his grades but as per the standing of the University that awarded her/him those grades. Similarly, a University is assessed not only as per its grades but as per the Country that it is a part of. Each time a military officer without University education, took up outside Due Process, higher status than a university graduate, the military officer was demoting the status of her/his country in the world of education. With Due Process, we carry our institutions with us and therefore where those institutions are higher in status than the other side / person – the officer applying Due Process would also be higher than the other side/person. To the extent armed officers on both sides of this war were driven by personal and/or small group mentality – they automatically brought down the intellectual status of their side. This military training at Universities is part of that effect produced by the Government of Sri Lanka – whether or not it was recommended by the Defence Secretariat.