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Prelates want “monks-only” Buddhist and Pali University: Dr. Raghavan
View(s):- Student leader accuses government of trying to blackmail them and privatise the institution
By Senuka Jayakody
At this week’s Cabinet meeting Education Minister Susil Premajayantha submitted a full report of the incidents at the University, along with a proposal to get advice from the Mahanayake theras on how to settle the crisis. The Cabinet accepted the proposal.
Accordingly Dr. Raghavan, who called on the Mahanayake theras along with the Vice Chancellor of the Buddhist and Pali University, Ven. Prof. Neluwe Sumanawansa Thera, to discuss the issue on Friday, told the Sunday Times that the prelates were of the view of re-opening the University in keeping with Buddhist precepts and stopping the admission of lay students.
Dr. Raghavan explained that they might make the University a completely monks-only university for sometime, as suggested by the prelates.
“The University was established only for monks, but the situation changed somewhere in 1995. The Mahanayake theras are of the view that mixing lay students and monks has intruded certain non-Buddhist attitudes and behaviour to the Sasana,” he said.
“However, we are continuing discussions, and we will hold a media conference after that. No one was allowed to enter some sections of the University and therefore the buildings there are falling apart. We need to repair and renovate them,” he said.
He said Sri Lanka would study how in other countries Buddhist universities were functioning, as we wished to introduce advanced online teaching in consultation with the Ministry and the President’s office.
“We hope the University will become not only an excellent knowledge centre but also a solutions provider,” Dr. Raghavan added.
“The University students should adhere to the basic concept of propagating the Dhamma and commit to the training of becoming missionaries of maitree (compassion) in their own villages and in the world. It pains me to read about the situation in the media every morning,” he said.
On Friday, the Vice Chancellor of the Buddhist and Pali University, Ven. Prof. Neluwe Sumanawansa Thera, said 32 students had been banned from academic activities after they were allegedly found to be involved in the crisis.
The Vice Chancellor said they had appointed a Professor Thera to look into the crisis and he was expecting a report in about two weeks.
He also said students who had graduated from University a year ago were back in the hostels.
The university's Vice Chancellor said they were hoping to re-open the University before the Act is reformed
The students of the University had allegedly threatened security guards, who checked their vehicles, and the hostels had become a safe houses for various narcotics.
However, the Vice Chancellor asserted that only a minority of students, around 30 to 40, engaged in such acts, and others were behaving in the correct way.
“We are attempting to bring students back to the original aim of protecting and spreading Buddhism through Dharmadutas (Buddhist missionaries), which the Buddhist and Pali University itself stands for,” Ven. Sumanawansa Thera said.
“We are expecting to re-open the University before the Act is reformed. We will not be able to solve the situation 100% but we will do what is possible,” he added.
Transport, Highways and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena expressed his ideas at Tuesday’s Cabinet briefing. He said the University had become even worse than other State universities in terms of ragging and had lost the original values it was founded upon.
The Minister said the University would re-open after reformation, obtaining reports and involving Buddhist leaders.
However at a media conference held on Wednesday, the Inter University Bhikshu Federation accused the Government of an attempt to topple the student movement by highlighting and emphasising such isolated incidents.
“Isolated incidents such as this one and some Peradeniya University incidents were emphasised to blackmail the student movement, which was successful in causing the resignation of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” said Ven. Galewewa Siridhamma Thera, the President of the Inter University Bhikshu Federation.
He also alleged there was a conspiracy by the Government to privatise the University.
“Because of mudslinging propaganda even innocent students cannot return to their temples. This causes the destruction of the local Buddhist tradition, so foreign monks can be recruited instead,” he said.
“Politicians who have no discipline, jumping from one party to another, are looking into the vinaya (law of conduct for Buddhist monks),” he added.
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