Is this saving ‘free education’ or using a section of university students to run errands for JVP? 

Please note the timing. This is the first demonstration by IUSF for three years? Where was this IUSF for the last three years? Didn’t this threat to free education exist in the period between 2004-7? Why this sudden interest? Has it or has it not anything to do with the separation of JVP from the political alliance it formed with the ruling PA in 2004? 

It well known how JVP shamelessly used university students to achieve their political goals ever since 1971. (Remember somebody called Mahinda Wijesekera of Vidyodaya?) This has become possible thanks to the political immaturity of the university students of our times, including those who take political science as a subject. So the question is whether the educationalists/policy makers should ever treat such protests seriously or just ignore them because they are nothing more than attempts to gain some mileage for a badly bankrupt political party. 

Another interesting observation is there is one coffin also to represent ‘Open University’ which is a fee levying institute, and which had been at the receiving end of the JVP protests in 1980s. Clearly shows that how much the protesters understand about their objectives. 

(Note: This contribution is from a guest writer and the education forum not necessary endorses all what it publishes. Our intention is to initiate discussions. Your comments are welcome. They all will be published just subjected to basic ethics one would expect in an online forum.)