I have been a doctor in Sri Lanka and overseas for the past 49 years
and I have always detested and condemned the despicable practice of
ragging in our universities. Sadly, since my university days, ragging
has become even more dastardly resulting in serious physical and
psychological injury to some victims.
On January 02, 2012 a newspaper reported a heart-rending story of
ragging in Ruhuna University where a 21 year old female student fell
during ragging and suffered a spinal injury. She was hospitalized and
whether she will recover fully is yet to be seen.
She is from a poor family and hoped that a university degree would
increase her employment prospects and thereby help her family. Her dream
may never be realized.
Two years ago my grand-nephew, a medical student in the Peradeniya
Faculty, was assaulted by a few pro-raggers because he joined an
anti-ragging group. He suffered a broken nose and facial lacerations
which needed surgery. He still has problems with his nose and the scars
on his face will be a permanent reminder of his ordeal.
In 1995 a nephew of mine (now an architect) and his batch mates were
ragged at the Moratuwa Campus for three months. They were forced to
crawl on their knees from the ground floor to the fourth floor almost
daily and stay crouched under chairs when there were no lecturers
around.
Raggers used foul language often and on the last day of ragging the
victims were barred from urinating for several hours.
Subsequently that nephew's younger brother refused to go to
University because he was terrified of ragging and there is no doubt
there are others like him missing out on university education for the
same reason.
There are many other horror stories of humiliation and hurt, physical
and mental.
Sadly, after burning midnight oil for years students in our country
begin university life not with great elation but in fear of their fate
at the hands of some sadistic senior rascals during the first few
months.
Their parents are equally apprehensive and anxious but helpless.
Current measures to control ragging are obviously inadequate and I make
an earnest appeal to the university authorities to take stern steps to
deal with the culprits mercilessly and end ragging for good. Expulsion
and not suspension, should be the minimum punishment.
Let's hope that some day every university will be a happy place for
every student from day one.
W Y Rambukwelle
Residents of Moratuwa Soysapura Housing Scheme were dismayed to
discover that their only public transport link to St. Anthony's Church,
Kochchikade via Route No. 102 (Soysapura-Kotahena) bus service has been
withdrawn by officials. The old, feeble and sick, who depended on this
link to light a candle and offer a prayer to St. Anthony, have now been
left unmercifully stranded.
Even if devotees, particularly the aged, were to hobble to the Galle
Road, at least half a kilometre away from the other end - there are no
buses to Kotahena as the CTB has scrapped this route. Imagine the
torture of breaking journey at Bambalapitiya and linking up with Route
112 buses, which are packed as this is the only service from Maharagama
to Kotahena, via Galle Road.
The Soysapura terminal has been crammed with Route 155 buses, which
are more a hassle to residents as the big fleet in operation has made
using the narrow main stretch within the complex.
Over to the authorities for redress, as thousands of devotees of St.
Anthony have been left in the lurch.
Suffering residents,
Moratuwa
It is distressing to find that poultry farms kept in residential
areas are a health hazard due to the odour emanating from the droppings
of the chicks.
The unbearable odour often causes giddiness and headache and it also
pollutes the environment as well.
I have personally suffered from such giddiness due to unbearable
smell of poultry farms. Hence, both Public Health Inspectors and
environmental authorities should inspect such badly kept poultry farms
and take drastic measures against such violators of environmental health
rules. M Y M Meeadh
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