Prof. Udagama condemns Peradeniya Uni ban on IMF austerity programme lecture

Former Chairperson of Human Rights Commission Prof. Deepika Udagama yesterday (05) strongly condemned the cancellation of a lecture, titled ‘How to fight against the IMF austerity programme,’ at the Peradeniya University.

Responding to The Island query in this regard, Prof. Udagama said: “This reported move to censor a programme, within a university, is surprising and is extremely problematic to say the least. It sets a chilling precedent. Universities are critically important sites of free speech as sharing of thoughts and ideas on any subject, however disagreeable or unsavoury to the authorities or anyone else, is essential for the generation of ideas. If academia is gagged, the democratic spirit in the country, too, suffers. If academia is sent the message that it cannot enjoy academic freedom, then what is the guarantee to the citizens of the right to free expression? “

She added: “One hopes that this intervention will be withdrawn and confidence restored. If the government, indeed, has not prevailed upon the university to interfere with the programme, it should give assurances to the public. “

Earlier, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE-Sri Lanka) strongly condemned the cancellation by the Vice Chancellor of Peradeniya University. The lecture, sponsored by the Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) of the Department of Political Science, was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on January 04. The PSSA had obtained prior approval from the Department head, Professor Upul Abeyratne, and arranged for the lecture to be held in Room 86 of the Political Science Department.

Senior Treasurer of the PSSA, Senior Lecturer Sumudu Walakulu, has informed the IYSSE convener of the cancellation. Walakulu explained: “I have received a message from the Acting Vice Chancellor, through the Dean, Faculty of Arts and the Head Political Science, to revise the topic of the speech and advertise accordingly so as not to appear that the meeting challenges the government policies or else consider hereby that the above meeting be suspended immediately.”

The Vice Chancellor’s actions are a blatant violation of the democratic rights of the PSSA, university students as a whole, and the IYSSE.

Walakulu further said that “due to the severity of the message” from senior university officials, he advised the PSSA President to cancel the event. He pointed out, however, that changing the meeting topic was at odds with PSSA’s objective of making “various insights” on Sri Lanka’s economic crisis available to “the university community.”