100 academics issue statement of protest against treatment of Swasthika Arulingam

A group of 100 academics have issued the following statement of protest against the treatment of Attorney-at-Law Swasthika Arulingam.

It is with perplexity and disappointment that we state our protest at the way Swasthika Arulingam, Attorney at law, was recently turned away from a lecture she was scheduled to deliver at the University of Jaffna. 

 Arulingam, a human rights lawyer has championed the cause of justice in a wide array of cases and has stood by so many who had been denied justice: She has fought for the independence of the judiciary and for justice for all people; she has stood against state repression and has stood by women, minorities and other marginalised persons.  

At a recent event in Colombo, Arulingam had, among many other pronouncements on the cause of justice and repressive laws, characterised the LTTE as a fascist organisation. This one remark, an aside in her speech at this unrelated event, had earned her the ire of the student union of the Jaffna University.

Subsequently, when the University of Jaffna, Department of Law had invited her to deliver a lecture ironically on judicial independence in a time of crisis, on 31 October, 2023, certain sections of the student population, including the Student Union, had railed against the conduct of the event. They had forced the Dean and University authorities to cancel the lecture, with threats of gheraos and barricades, barring her entry into and exit from the venue. The University authorities had caved in to this pressure, and had suggested a change of venue, outside the university, for which Arulingam had quite rightly said no.

Violence in our universities needs to be checked and countered with greater openness and discussion.  Universities are places for the exchange of ideas. They are considered the crucibles of new ideas and change. Developments such as these further undermine the history of the university as a space for freedom, a space where one can dissent without fear of retribution, essential for the flourishing of criticality. There is no place for violence and acts of intimidation in our universities. To condone censorship in such a space is a violation of this spirit. It severely compromises the substantive mandate of the university. There is, in addition, a subtle rhetoric around Arulingam being an ‘outsider’ who was invited ‘in’ for a talk, who therefore, should have abided by the tacit rules in place. We find this attitude objectionable, because we should not subscribe to the gatekeeping of ideas or any form of insularity in our thinking. On the contrary, universities should facilitate the open exchange of ideas, in and across the many spheres of our civil and political lives.

It is ironic that the incident takes place at a time when university students themselves are facing severe repression from dominant state forces. In such a context, it is all the more disheartening to see that students, particularly student unions who have a certain amount of political clout and power within university spaces, engage in willful suppression of views opposed to theirs. This attitude is visible in ragging as well as in other instances of dissent, such as in this case. The fact that student politics increasingly mirror that on the national level, in spirit and in strategy, signals a dangerous trend of intolerance coming to define life at all levels of society. In this extremely trying time of a severe economic crisis, repressive laws that undo protection for the ordinary people, and a resurgence of majoritarian chauvinism in many areas of policy and populist appeal, the space for independent thinking needs to be kept alive and fought for with vigour.  

The incident at the Jaffna University is a wake-up call to all of us in the university system, to zealously guard the space for independent thinking and push this ethic to the utmost. We therefore call on all in the university system, academics, students, administrators, to urgently commit to ensuring that the university remains a space for freedom, criticality, and mutual respect. We call on the University of Jaffna and all other state universities to cherish and promote these principles. In this spirit, we call on the University of Jaffna, Department of Law to re-invite Arulingam to deliver her lecture, in an affirmation of the values of freedom of expression and respect for different viewpoints that she has consistently fought for.

 Udari Abeyasinghe, University of Peradeniya, Ranil Abayasekara, formerly University of Peradeniya,

Liyanage Amarakeerthi, University of Peradeniya, Dewmini Amunugama, University of Peradeniya, Fazeeha Azmi, M. I.,University of Peradeniya, Crystal Baines, formerly University of Colombo, Imani Bakmeedeniya,University of Peradeniya, Dhanuka Bandara,University of Peradeniya, Shyama Banneheka, University of Peradeniya, Ann Conrad, University of Peradeniya, Suresh de Mel, University of Peradeniya, Erandika de Silva, formerly University of Jaffna, Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri, University of Colombo, Kanchuka Dharmasiri, University of Peradeniya, Priyan Dias, University of Moratuwa, Pavithra Ekanayake, University of Peradeniya, Avanka Fernando, University of Colombo, Amna Frouz, University of Peradeniya, G D U P K Gamage, University of Peradeniya, Ruwani Gamalath, University of Peradeniya, Dileni Gunewardena, University of Peradeniya, Farzana Haniffa, University of Colombo, S. T. Hettige, Emeritus Prof., University of Colombo, Tracy Holsinger, formerly Open University of Sri Lanka, Ishafa Illiyas, University of Peradeniya, Kaushalya Jayasinghe, University of Peradeniya, Prabath Jayasinghe, University of Colombo, Jennifer Edama, University of Peradeniya, Jeyaratnam Jeyadevan, University of Jaffna, Ahilan Kadirgamar, University of Jaffna, Maduranga Kalugampitiya, University of Peradeniya, 

Madhara Karunarathne, University of Peradeniya, Chulani Kodikara, formerly University of Colombo, Visiting Lecturer, Manikya Kodithuwakku, Open University of Sri Lanka, Yasas Kulasekara, University of Peradeniya, Supoorna Kulatunga, University of Peradeniya, N. Savitri Kumar, Emeritus Prof. University of Peradeniya, Shamala Kumar, University of Peradeniya, Vijaya Kumar Emeritus Prof., University of Peradeniya, Rohan Laksiri, University of Ruhuna, A. H. Lareena, Sabaragamuwa University, Hasini Lecamwasam, University of Peradeniya, Saumya Liyanage, University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo, K.W.S.I.Madumali, University of Peradeniya, Lahiruka Madhuwanthi, University of Peradeniya, 

Sudesh Mantillake, University of Peradeniya, Prabha Manuratne, University of Kelaniya, Sitralega Maunaguru, formerly Prof. at Eastern University Sri Lanka, Dushyanthi Mendis, University of Colombo, 

R. Morel, University of Peradeniya, Kethakie Nagahawatte, University of Colombo, M. A. Nuhman, Retired Prof.,  University of Peradeniya, Gananath Obeyesekere, formerly  University of Peradeniya, 

Ranjini Obeyesekere, formerly University of Peradeniya, Buddhima Padmasiri, Open University of Sri Lanka, Sasinindu Patabendige,  formerly University of Jaffna, Hasitha Pathirana, University of Kelaniya, 

Pradeep Peiris, University of Colombo, Ruhanie Perera, University of Colombo, Hasitha Perera, University of Jaffna, Kaushalya Perera, University of Colombo, Nicola Perera, University of Colombo, Sasanka Perera, Formerly Prof., University of Colombo, Rupika Rajakaruna, University of Peradeniya, 

Udara Rajapaksha, ,University of Peradeniya, Dileeshiya Rajarathna, University of Peradeniya, Muthumini Rajasooriya, University of Peradeniya, Harshana Rambukwella, formerly Open University of Sri Lanka, Udayana Ranatunga, University of Peradeniya, Madushani Randeniya, University of Peradeniya, Bhathiya Rathnayake, University of Peradeniya, Sajitha Ratnayake, University of Peradeniya

Gameela Samarasinghe, University of Colombo, T. Sanathanan, University of Jaffna, Muttukrishna Sarvananthan, University of Jaffna, Dr Asanka P. Sayakkara, University of Colombo, Kalana Senaratne, Dept. of Law, University of Peradeniya, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Sabaragamuwa University, Poornima Senaweera, University of Peradeniya, Tudor Silva, Emeritus Prof., University of Peradeniya, Krishan Siriwardhana, University of Colombo, Sahani Situbandara, University of Peradeniya, H. Sriyananda, formerly Open University of Sri Lanka, Sivamohan Sumathy, University of Peradeniya, Ruth Surenthiraraj, University of Colombo, Esther Surenthiraraj, University of Colombo, Vasanthi Thevansan, Emeritus Prof., University of Peradeniya, Dayapala Thiranagama, formerly University of Kelaniya, 

Mahendran Thiruvarangan, University of Jaffna, Ramila Usoof, University of Peradeniya, Jayadeva Uyangoda, Emeritus Prof. University of Colombo, Vivimarie VanderPoorten,  Open University of Sri Lanka, Selvaraj Vishvika, University of Peradeniya. Chamini Weerasinghe, University of Peradeniya, Ruvan Weerasinghe, University of Colombo, Carmen Wickramagamage, University of Peradeniya, Kumudu Wickramathilaka, University of Peradeniya, Ranjit Wijekoon, formerly University of Peradeniya, Shalini Wijerathna,  University of Peradeniya and Shermal Wijewardene, University of Colombo.