What is wrong with it? why does not Sri Lankan government encourage it? why do some people want to make politics out of it?
by Dr SLM Rifai
Views expressed in this article are the author’s own
Recently some Sri Lankan media has been allegedly spreading some rumours and lies about Batticaloa campus. I do not have any personal or political affiliation with Dr Hizbullah: Governor of Eastern province. Neither I have met him, nor I have spoken to him. I do not know about his political ambition or about his political manipulation at all. Yet, I personally welcome this Batticaloa campus project in a greater interest of Sri Lanka. I will substantiate my argument with logical and rational reasoning. Dr Hizbullah may live another 30 or 40 years in this world and yet, this campus if it is well established, will have a long life to serve entire Sri Lankan student communities for many centuries to come. Please do not look at this project from a personal perspective. Rather look at this institution from a national perspective. He has not established this institution of higher education for his personal interest or for the personal interest of Muslim community alone. It is established with a prime aim of serving entire Sri Lankan student communities: This includes Sinhalese, Tamil, Malay and Muslim student communities. It is not an exclusive Muslim institution as it is claimed by some media. It is a non-governmental private institute that has been established with the approval of education ministry in Sri Lanka. The previous government must have given a green light and approval to establish this government. Without such an approval Dr Hizbullah would not have been able to continue this project. He has done this for the greater interest of the entire Sri Lankan people.
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| The inauguration ceremony, then the Minister of Rajapaksa Administration, Mr Alahapperuma was one of the guests |
Now, consider how much money has gone into this project. It is reported that more than 2000 million Rupees has been so far spent on this campus for its different buildings and infrastructure. Dr Hizbullah managed to get this money (interest free loan) from a Saudi businessman, using all his personal and political influence. He did not do this for his personal interest. He might have 5% personal interest on it as someone who has initiated it and yet, he did this for the greater interest of this country out of his love to this nation. He did it for the people of Sri Lanka, and for the future generations of Sri Lankan student communities. We all know that more than 80% of A/L students do not get any opportunities to continue their higher education in Sri Lanka. Because, our budget for higher education is not enough to provide free education to all A/L students. We have been wasting our human potentiality and credential for many years now. At this modern age of acritical intelligence and digital technology, Sri Lankan must expand it higher education sector sooner than later. All other countries in subcontinents are investing a greater amount of money for education. Yet, we are fighting when someone want to invest in Sri Lanka for higher education.
We live in this competitive world of human skills. The wealth of nations is gauged today with quality of human skills and knowledge. It is a duty and responsibility of Sri Lankan government to support our student communities to enhance and develop their human potentialities and skills. We are living in this modern world of knowledge-based economies. Dr Hizbullah out of his inquisitiveness and love for education, he initiated this project. What is wrong with it? why does not Sri Lankan government encourage it? why do some people want to make politics out of it?
I challenge any Tamil or Sinhalese politicians if they could bring such a huge amount of money to Sri Lanka interest freely to initiate such a massive project. Why do we read this project from a communal and racial line? Why do not we consider this project as a national wealth to support our future generations. I too have some doubt about the location of this campus. I’d prefer the establishment of such a campus in a big city in Sri Lanka not in a remote area. It would have been far better if he had chosen some good local in an upcountry site to attract more students. I do not like dry zone for such a campus.
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| Demonstrating the plan of the university for those who funded the throiugh Hira Foundation |
I’m dismayed to know that some professors who initially agreed to develop this campus have submitted their letters of resignation out of fear and intimidation. What a pathetic situation is this? What is wrong with people of Sri Lanka today. Everything has been communalised. Unfortunately, our Sri Lankan communities are living in water-tight compartments. Even education has been seen from a communal perspective. Now, some Sinhalese professors are reluctant to develop this university, because it was initiated by a Muslim MP. It is reported that the site and location to our first Sri Lankan university was identified by a Muslim intellectual in those days, I wonder how those Sinhalese intellectuals could accept a Muslim proposal in those days and yet, today some Sinhalese professors are reluctant to develop this campus. Because it is proposed by a Muslim MP. This discriminative and prejudicial attitude to Education in Sri Lanka is not good at all. If something good comes from anyone or from anywhere we must have big hearts to accept it. Many accusations and allegations are spread about this campus by many Sri Lankan media. Some of them have been deliberately done to misguide people. Some of these allegations are made for some pollical reasons. Most of these allegations are baseless allegations. Dr Hizbullah has given enough clarification about those allegations. How pathetic are Sri Lankan media to twist facts in Sri Lanka?
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| Hizbullah explaining the project |
I think all these allegations are made in the backdrop of Easter Sunday attack by some radical Muslim youths. We condemn those attacks. There is no connection between Islam and these attacks. Those who did this crime are not true Muslims. Please do not try to make any connection between these attacks and the establishment of this campus. We are passing through one of toughest times in Sri Lankan history. Sri Lanka badly needs the support of all communities to develop Sri Lankan national identity. We may have different cultural identities and yet, we all are born and brought up in Sri Lanka. We all have a Lankan national identity. we ought to develop this national sentiment among us as Sri Lankans. It is our duty to support the national building process of Sri Lanka. All this communal unrest will put our economy to decline and end of the day, each Sri Lankan will have to pay the price for this unrest financially. So, it would be wise to learn to live in peace in Sri Lanka.
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