The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said that the hostility toward all politicians which is coming from the university system is mainly due to their (politicians) inability to address the issues existing in the university system, and that therefore, students and university teachers have a right to display their objection.

When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (1 February), the FUTA Chairman Prof. Barana Jayawardana said that the recent protests that occurred in universities all around the country were fueled by politicians turning a blind eye to the issues in the university system. He noted that neither the students nor the teachers have a personal conflict with the political elite, but that the said objection is to the extreme irresponsibility shown from the politicians’ end. He also emphasised that the FUTA will not endorse any political interference in the university system and believes that none of the Presidential candidates must use the universities for their campaigns. “We don’t oppose politicians visiting universities for functions. They have a right to do so. But, they don’t have a moral right to attend celebrations without providing solutions for the grave issues of the university system. The particular hostility toward politicians comes as a result of that. Otherwise, the reception for politicians would have been somewhat different,” he added. When he was queried about the recent protest against President Ranil Wickremesinghe visiting the University of Kelaniya, Prof. Jayawardana further stated that the FUTA believes that there is no issue with State office holders visiting State universities, but that if someone is trying to get unnecessary political benefits without addressing the basic issues of the State universities, the students also have a right to protest.

The State Minister of Higher Education Dr. Suren Raghavan, recently alleged that some universities are planning to invite politicians and Presidential candidates to universities, opining that such moves should be stopped. “Universities are solely for academic activities. Politics must be kept away from university premises,” Raghavan claimed.

Meanwhile, the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) reiterated that it is against any kind of political meeting held within university premises with the participation of the Presidential candidates of any party. The IUSF noted that no politician has the moral right to come to universities at a time when the continuous grievances of the students are being neglected by the political elite, and that it would not let any Presidential candidate hold meetings inside the universities, despite his or her political leanings.