President at Sri Jayawardenapura University:

Students should express thoughts, views freely

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday stressed that there should be an atmosphere in the universities where students can express their thoughts and views freely.

He was of the view that they should have freedom to discuss their thoughts and views in the university premises.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking at the opening of the largest swimming pool in the country’s premier seat of learning – Sri Jayawardenapura University (formally Vidyodaya University of Ceylon) yesterday. This is the largest university in the country where more than 10,000 students are learning.

This project was funded by the Namal Foundation.

Chairman of the Tharunyata Hetak organization and Hambantota district Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena and Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha and Construction, Engineering Services and Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa were also present.

The President said the university students should have complete freedom to have any political ideologies but there should be an environment in the universities to air them in a free manner.

The President opined that a university student should be revolutionary, critical and inquisitive as noticed by former Vice Chancellor of the University Ven Kotagama Vachisswara Mahanayake Thera.

He or she should be justifiable and truthful. The advice given to me by the late Nayake Thera echoes in my heart whenever I come to this prestigious university, he added.

He remembered how the university students who carried different political ideologies supported him at the 1970 General election in the Beliatta electorate when he was working in the Vidyodaya University library in the late 1960s.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his government succeeded in increasing the intake to the university system from 14,000 in 2005 to 23,000 by 2010. He was of the opinion that new study courses need to be introduced to universities to cope with the developed society. “We should create a university student who can win the world,” he stressed.

President Rajapaksa added that the Government firmly believes in the importance of free education and it is committed to protect and promote the free education policies.

The President commended the services of the intellectual fraternity in the universities who were in the forefront to squash the baseless allegation levelled by certain quarters when the Government was facing one of the most ruthless terrorist outfits in the world. President Rajapaksa added that the youths should be prepared for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Sri Lanka and a request in this regard has already been made.

The President added that university students should make the best use of this swimming pool which is deemed to be the largest in the country.

President Rajapaksa added that no one in the world can challenge Sri Lankans when it comes to inborn talents, perseverance and sheer commitment.

Courtesy -  Daily News - By Chaminda Perera