A report submitted to the President by the authorities and the academic staff has revealed that incidents of ragging and violence had taken place at the Buddhist and Pali University in Homagama.
The report disclosed that the university’s senior students had committed acts of ragging on its first-year bhikkhus and students.
The ragging included immersing in week-old waste water, forcing students to take drugs such as cannabis and crystal meth/ice, making students exercise till exhaustion, food deprivation, forcing students to masturbate and act in sexually explicit poses, picking out a group of ‘homosexuals’ and making them act as such.
On December 5, a group of anti-rag students seeking intervention against these activities met the Registrar of the University, Chief Advisor on Student Affairs, Dean of Buddhist Studies, Assistant Registrar, Resident Coordinator and the Head of Security.
They complained that the acting Vice-Chancellor Ven. Neluwe Sumanawansha Himi is not doing enough to curb the ragging activities and is incapable of controlling the situation. On November 29, a group of anti-raggers were assaulted in their dorm rooms at the Sarasavi Madura Residence Hall, following which 21 lay students and a Bikkhu student involved were suspended on December 5 by the university administration. On November 30, a group of seniors verbally abused anti-raggers and hit their room doors objecting to the entry of Police into campus.
The investigation also identified several active members of the student union among the raggers as members of the Inter-University Student Federation.
Observation: The report identified that the situation has gotten out of hand due to several reasons: the university administration not taking steps to curb ragging activities, having no campus authority to look into student discipline and not having a proper governing body to enforce the government’s and the University Grants Commission’s recommendations on ragging. The ragging activities have caused severe physical and mental stress on freshmen and the report suggested immediate action to control the situation.
The list of students identified with ragging activities include; Ven. Polpithigama Pagnasara Thera, Dhammika Laksiri, Naveen Dharmaratne, Asela Wasantha Kumara, Lahiru Madhawa, Suranga Lakshan, Idunil Jayantha Bandara, Sajith Tennakoon, Niroshan Kumara, Ven. Medagama Aridhamma Thera, Ven. Beragama Sominda Thera , Ven. Midellawe Sirirathna Thera, Ven. Madawachchiye Sumanarathne Thera , Ven. Buttala Sumanasiri Thera, Ven. Danture Uththaranada Thera, Ven. Kirende Chandraloka Thera, Lakshman Sisira Kumara and Kawinda Deshan Dayarathne.